A Road Less Traveled
by SleepyHollow 5
Summary: Pre-LOTR. After dreaming of seeing the beauty of Middle Earth beyond the borders of Mirkwood, Legolas sees his chance when he hears of a procession to deliver the Dorwinion Princess to her betrothed in Lindon. Knowing his father would never allow it, the prince sets off into the unknown under a false identity. What he discovers is more than he could have ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey everyone, I've had the idea for this story for quite some time and I'm pretty excited about it. As my other story, Worlds Apart, comes close to its end, I've been itching to begin a new project to fill the void. This is quite a bit different than Worlds Apart in that it is not an A/U, but nevertheless I hope you all enjoy it and I would be so grateful for your feedback.

**A Road Less Traveled: Chapter 1**

He could almost hear the disapproval in his father's voice, telling him this was behaviour unbecoming of a prince of Mirkwood, but nevertheless Legolas continued to climb up the twisted branches of a great tree, somewhere in the heart of the forest. What his father didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and on a night like this, how was a wood elf to resist? It was not the first time that Legolas snuck out of the king's halls to see the stars and this certainly was not going to be the last.

The prince continued to pull himself up, branch by branch, until he finally broke through the canopy of autumn leaves and his deep blue eyes beheld a sky illuminated with small sparkling lights. It was a sight that took his breath away every time and sent his imagination running wild. A gentle and warm breeze blew through his golden hair and he looked out to the north where the Lonely Mountain stood small and dark in the distance against a lighter backdrop of clear night sky. Legolas had visited those lands countless times as his father continued to hold a trade agreement with men of Esgaroth, but the furthest he'd ever been from home was the southernmost border of Mirkwood, where the evil of Dol Guldur had taken root.

He absentmindedly turned his gaze Westward, where beyond his father's realm lay the Misty Mountains and the great kingdoms of men. Legolas sighed, wondering what was out there. The wood elves had made a practice of isolating themselves from the rest of the world, and the only time this had been challenged was when the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield dared to take back Erebor, drawing the elves into war. But it was not Thranduil's custom to concern himself with the affairs of others and after the battle of the five armies, they reverted back to solitude and Legolas found himself confined to his walls.

Out here he could dream of lands far away, of other races and great kingdoms. Out here he was not a prince, he was simply Legolas. But he was far too cautious, unwilling to take a chance, and always looking to please the king. Under the watchful gaze of his father, that life was not for him, nor would it ever be.

Legolas gazed longingly at the stars and searched for the constellations that his mother had shown him when he was an elfling. As the heir to the throne, his life would never be anything more than duty and he would simply have to content himself with stolen moments like these.

**... ...**

The next morning, the prince awoke feeling especially pleased with himself for managing to sneak back into the halls undetected after his escapade. He roused himself from bed and combed out his long, golden locks which he then braided back in a hurry. Legolas wished to join the woodland guard on their patrol in the woods and if he hoped to have a chance of leaving the palace without having an endless list of menial tasks thrust upon him by his father, he needed to hurry.

When he was dressed, he strapped in his knives and grabbed his bow before stealthily exiting his bedchamber, examining the hallways in all directions for any sign of his father's advisor Gliron. It wasn't that Legolas didn't like him, he was a very agreeable ellon and far easier to talk to than the king, however he was almost always tasked with summoning the prince to his father's study where the daily torture would commence. If Legolas could avoid him, he was free – at least until tomorrow.

As he started down the never-ending network of stone staircases, the prince heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Legolas groaned inwardly and was preparing himself for the appearance of Gliron's long, green robes from beyond the corner. Instead he caught sight of Veryan, his friend from the guard and sighed in relief.

The dark-haired ellon smirked as he saw the look of assuagement on Legolas' face.

"Attempting an escape are we?"

The prince smiled in amusement at his own paranoia and nodded as they walked down the stairs together.

"I am trying to avoid another one of my father's lists. He appears to have an endless supply at the ready to keep me preoccupied."

Veryan arched an eyebrow, "Is that where you've been hiding all this time? In your father's study? Tauriel and I were wondering what had become of you as of late. Your patrols with us are becoming fewer and far between."

"Yes, well lately the king believes that I am better serving the realm by fulfilling various administrative tasks than helping to protect the borders," Legolas replied with a sigh, "But today will be different."

Yes, today was going to be different. Today he was going to roam free through the woods without a care in the world just as he used to before the battle of the five armies. He could nearly feel the humidity of the forest air on his skin just by thinking about what the day held for him.

"Prince Legolas!"

The two elves stopped dead in their tracks as the velvety voice called out in their direction. Legolas groaned in annoyance as he spied the great gates only a short distance away. They had nearly made it only to be intercepted by Gliron. Legolas turned away from the gates as the advisor descended the steps to join them and Veryan gave his friend a look of sympathy.

"Good," said Gliron, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Have you?" Legolas was clearly unenthused that his plans for the day were about to change drastically but the advisor either ignored or was completely oblivious to the prince's sarcasm.

"The king requests your presence in his study immediately."

Legolas sighed in utter frustration. Apparently this was what he got for actually daring to believe he could do something he wished to do for once. He nodded dutifully to Gliron before shooting an apologetic glance at Veryan.

The guard simply shrugged. "Perhaps next time," he said, knowing he was being over optimistic, before disappearing off down the rest of the staircase to join Tauriel and the others.

Without another word, the prince started off back in the direction whence he came. He had some time to think while he made the short journey to the king's study, up various staircases and through winding corridors. Legolas thought of the stars from the night before and the distant outlines of the Misty Mountains. He hadn't always been this way, so curious about what lay beyond the forest. Before he was reserved, cold towards the other races of Arda and content with isolation, but Tauriel had changed that when she challenged him to think of the repercussions of evil outside their halls. He had been certain he loved her then, but soon he realized that there would never be anything more than close friendship between them. Though she was quite a bit younger than him – only 600 years old – she had taught him to open up his mind to a grander view of the world and to reject isolation. She was right, they were a part of this world and he wanted to see it.

When Legolas finally reached the great oak door of his father's study, he knocked twice before he heard a voice bidding him to enter.

Thranduil was sitting at his desk, looking over some rolls of parchment when he caught sight of his son entering the room. His gaze roamed disapprovingly over the grey-green jerkin and brown breeches that were worn by many of the elven guard, and the quiver strapped over his back with twin knives fastened safely into their scabbard. The king's piercing blue eyes finally fell on Legolas' hair, braided in the style of warriors.

"What are you doing with that?" the king gestured to the bow that Legolas held firmly in his hands, "and where is your circlet? The attire of the woodland guard is most unbecoming of your station. See to it that from now on you are wearing the symbol of your status as the prince of this realm."

"I thought that I might go on patrol today," tried the prince as he shifted in place at the entrance to the study.

Thranduil motioned for his son to close the door and to approach the desk. Legolas did as he was told without question.

"I was careless with you," said the king with a disappointed sigh, "I let you join the guard thinking that it would be the best way to hone your skills as a fighter. But never did I reproach you for acting as one of them, for befriending them or for thinking of yourself as their equal. You are a prince, Legolas, you are the heir to this realm and you must start acting as such, not a lowly member of the guard."

Legolas did his best to swallow his feelings of despondence and hurt at the king's words. Since his mother's death, they had not been particularly close. His father had afforded him a bit more freedom when he was growing up, but now as he approached his second millennium, that freedom was slowly fading to make way for his grooming into a future ruler.

Thranduil reached out to one of the piles of parchment on his desk and handed the large roll to his son.

"These are your tasks for today. Of the utmost importance, you must see to it that the delegates arriving today from Imladris are appropriately housed."

"Why have they come?" inquired the prince as he looked utterly discouraged by the endless list of menial tasks that he had to perform by the day's end.

"To renew their trade agreement with us. The Lord Elrond is sending his sons, Elladan and Elrohir, to negotiate in his stead."

The prince nodded and continued to examine the list, "And you wish for me to inspect the store rooms as well."

"Yes, we need an inventory," said Thranduil, the dim light of torch that hung overhead casting shadows across his ethereal features, "I fear our stores of Dorwinion wine are dwindling and such spirits are not easy to come by."

"Right, I will see it done then."

Seeing the discouraged look on his son's face, the king rose from behind his desk and slowly walked around it. He placed a hand under Legolas' chin, raising it so that one pair of ice blue eyes met the other.

"This is all to prepare you to take the reigns of the kingdom one day," he explained, "My only wish is that you will be ready to take on such a role. That is why it is important that you place these thoughts of joining the daily patrols aside. Do you understand?"

They continued to lock eyes for a long moment until Legolas finally nodded in obedience. "Yes father."

"Good." the king walked back to his chair and sat down once more to pour over his rolls of parchment.

The prince was about to leave, hoping to get started as soon as possible so that he could hope to make a dent in that list by mid-day, but Thranduil's voice held him at the door.

"One more thing, Legolas. Make yourself presentable for the party tonight. I believe it is time you began to look for a suitable wife."

Legolas groaned inwardly. He had forgotten all about the party and truthfully he would rather end up in the web of a giant spider than be subject to a night of dancing with the innumerable suitors that his father threw at him. The prince had never been particularly skilled with ellith, he often stumbled on his words and never had the courage to ask any of them to dance. It was all rather embarrassing really, especially since he was the prince of the realm and he was supposed to exude charm, and Veryan always made it worse by snickering at him.

"Yes, father," he said again before setting off to complete his tasks. He had a whole day ahead of him before the dreaded party and until then, he would do his best not to think of it.

**... ...**

The prince spent the better part of the day running around from the undercroft, where he took inventory of the kingdom's wine stores as well as various other unperishables, to Gliron's study where he stopped for a small chat before picking up the account books of all the imports and exports of the realm so that they could be balanced and any errors corrected. The twins of Imladris arrived around mid-afternoon and Legolas made sure that they were comfortably housed and had all that they desired before the party tonight. At the end of a long day, Legolas finally checked off the last item on his list after he delivered a large stack of books to the king from the library.

He had just enough time to make himself presentable for the festivities when he finally reached his bedchamber at sundown. The last thing Legolas wanted to do was attend but he knew that his father would have his head if he didn't make an appearance. Reluctantly he walked over to the large oak armoire and picked out a set of silver-blue robes that Thranduil always said looked best on him. He pulled the silky material over his head and brushed the braids out of his hair before donning his mithril circlet.

As Legolas studied his reflection in the mirror, the ellon staring back at him looked just as a prince of Mirkwood was expected to, but this was deceiving. The art of fighting was like second nature to him, he was renown throughout the realm for his skill with a bow and the deadly precision of his knives, yet when he was asking an elleth to dance or simply starting a conversation with one, it was a painful experience for both parties.

Yes, he looked every inch a prince, but he certainly did not feel like one. The only comforting thought was that Tauriel and Veryan were going to be there tonight to save him.

With a deep inhale, he turned away from the mirror and made his way down to the banqueting hall where the sounds of merrymaking could be heard throughout the caves, reverberating off the walls up to the high ceilings. The songs of an elven minstrel were nearly being drowned out by the various conversations in the room and almost as soon as he entered the room, Legolas was being offered a glass of fine Dorwinion wine by one of the servants, which he took rather eagerly and gulped down in two shots.

"Would you like another glass, your highness?" the servant asked, wearing an expression of astonishment.

"Please, if it is not too much trouble," he said with a small smile and the servant refilled his glass to the rim.

All around him there were elves dancing to the rhythm of the music and indulging in spirits as they conversed happily in groups. Across the room, Legolas caught sight of Tauriel and the other Mirkwood guards who were erupting into laughing over something Veryan had said. He noticed that his friend looked rather comfortable with Tauriel and he was trying hard to make her smile. The red-haired elleth for her part, was trying her best to pretend as though she were uninterested in his advances but nothing could hide the small circles of pink that appeared on her cheeks.

Legolas smirked as he watched the scene unfolding from afar. He'd known for some time now that Veryan harboured special feelings towards the captain of the guard, but whether Tauriel was ready to reciprocate those feelings was another matter entirely. The prince longed to join them, to take part in their soon he was being called over to a small group on the left, comprised of the king, Gliron and Elladan and Elrohir of Imladris.

Legolas arrived just in time to catch a few passing remarks by Elladan about the elven kingdom to the East.

"It appears that the kingdom of Dorwinion is seeking an alliance with the elves of Lindon, beyond the Ered Luin," said the dark haired son of Elrond.

Elrohir smirked as it became very apparent that Thranduil was unimpressed with such news. "Rumour has it that King Aradan wishes to arrange a match between his only daughter and Cirdan's son at Lindon, a Lord, to cement their impending trade agreement."

"And why would the Dorwinion king seek out such an alliance?" inquired Gliron.

"Why else? The blue mountains are overflowing with silver veins and he is anxious to get his hands on such a resource," Thranduil said irritably, "The elves of Dorwinion only ever work in their own interest. Always scheming and tactless."

Legolas sipped his second glass of wine at more appropriate pace than the first as he drifted in and out of the conversation. All he knew was that his father and the Dorwinion king despised one another after a falling out over the importing of wine into Mirkwood. Seeing as the wood elves were avid consumers of the coveted drink, they had attempted to negotiate a much lower sale price but one thing led to another and Aradan accused Thranduil of trying to cheat him. Since then they hadn't spoken and the relations between the two kingdoms were less than friendly to be sure – Aradan had even forbidden the exporting of wine to Mirkwood, even if this meant a great loss in revenue. Now the only way for the woodland elves to get Dorwinion wine was through illegal importing, which Thranduil absolutely condoned, if anything simply to cross Aradan.

The prince had always found it silly that their two kingdoms had had such a falling out over something as trivial as wine, but Thranduil always insisted that it was more so a matter of respect; he was not going to let anyone call him a cheat and get away with it.

However, Legolas did feel sorry for the Dorwinion princess as he heard the twins discussing her betrothal to the Lord of Lindon. He could not imagine being forced to marry someone he had never met before, from a foreign kingdom, all in the name of a trade agreement. Most elves married for love, because they had found the one who completed them, not out of duty.

"How any king could subject his daughter to a loveless marriage is beyond my understanding," he heard himself saying aloud as he came out of his reverie.

This earned him a reproachful glare from Thranduil as they had long moved on from the subject of the Dorwinion elves and his son's little interjection was interrupting their important discussion on the renewal of the agreement between Mirkwood and Imladris.

"I wholeheartedly agree with you, prince Legolas. However, I believe such a move comes out of a true desperation on the part of the Dorwinion king," chimed in an amused Elladan, "They own very little resources other than wine because the kingdom lies so far east and that is why they seek to cultivate as many diplomatic relations as possible."

_'Or face isolation like ours,'_ the prince felt like saying but then he knew that he would get more than just an stern look from his father after the party was over.

Glindor attempted to return to the previous topic of conversation but then Elladan turned to his brother, "Perhaps we ought to save the negotiations for tomorrow."

"Yes, perhaps that would be best. It is too fine a night to waste on such dry business," agreed Elrohir and once more Legolas became the recipient of some very unenthused glances from his father before the king nodded in defeat and stirred the conversation in another direction.

After what seemed an eternity of longing glances towards his friends who appeared to be having a much better time than he was, the prince was finally able to make an escape from the little group that was conversing with his father on the pretence of going to find more wine for his empty glass.

The minstrel was now playing a soft, joyful ballad and it was quite apparent by the time Legolas joined them that Veryan was trying to convince Tauriel to dance with him.

"Just one."

The red-haired elleth wore a mischievous smile and shook her head. "I do not dance, Veryan."

If Tauriel were being honest with herself, she was actually enjoying this little game. She knew he was fond of her and deep down she knew that she reciprocated those feelings, but she still had her reservations. As captain of the Mirkwood guard, it was conflict of interest for her to fall in love with one under her command and she didn't wish to do anything to jeopardize her position; she had worked too hard over the centuries to ingratiate herself with the king and earn her place.

"You wound me, Tauriel," Veryan replied playfully.

"She is right," Legolas chimed in with amusement, "The only dance she has ever mastered successfully is the one with her knives. I do not believe I have ever seen her dance with an ellon."

For that he received a playful smack on the arm. "I could say the same for you," retorted Tauriel, "I've never seen you dance with an elleth without looking uncomfortable."

They shared a few laughs and as he finished his fourth glass of wine, Legolas realized that for the first time tonight, he was actually enjoying himself. It was always like this when he spent time with his friends in the Mirkwood guard, they didn't treat him any differently than they would one of their own ranks. With them, he didn't have to be a prince, they forgot about the circlet on his head, and he could simply be Legolas the way he longed to.

**... ...**

As the night wore on, Thranduil was rather concerned to see his son spending most of his time with Veryan and Tauriel, completely oblivious to the fact that several of the eligible ellith at the festivities were eyeing him.

This was meant to be an occasion for Legolas to begin looking for a suitable match, the companion to his fëa, the way he had found Maerwen.

He still remembered the way he caught sight of her from afar at one of his father's parties, many millennia ago. Her long, golden hair was tumbling down the back of her forest green dress and Thranduil remembered how he could not keep his eyes off her. It had taken him the better part of the night to finally ask her to dance, but he did, and that was the moment he knew that he had found the one.

He felt Glindor's hand on his shoulder and tore his gaze from the other side of the room where Legolas was chuckling with his friends.

"We spoke of my expectations for him earlier today," lamented the king, "I love him deeply but my son is stubborn beyond measure."

The advisor arched an eyebrow and smirked, "A bit like a certain king that I know. He looks like Maerwen but he received his strong character from you, no doubt."

The king sighed, hating to admit that Glindor was right. Legolas was the mirror image of his mother, but he was just as stubborn and strong minded as his father. They were more alike than he thought and at times Thranduil wondered if he was being too harsh on his son by making him travel such a straight and narrow road. Nevertheless, he always managed to convince himself that this was for the best, after all, he hadn't been prepared to ascend the throne when he received news that Oropher perished in battle and it had been a steep hill to climb before he finally felt comfortable as king.

Thranduil wished to avoid this outcome for Legolas at all costs and he was going to begin tonight by trying to find his son a wife.

**... ...**

The prince was puzzled when all of a sudden, Tauriel, Veryan and the others ceased their games and grew very quiet, but all was revealed to him in an instant when he realized they were staring past him at a rather imposing figure in silver robes and a headdress of autumn leaves.

"Your highness," greeted the captain as she bowed low.

"Tauriel," acknowledged Thranduil with a small nod of his head to the others in their company, "I wondered if I might borrow my son for a few moments. He has promised a dance to some of the other ellith here and I would hate for him to forget."

The last part was aimed directly at Legolas who could hear the impatience in his father's voice as icy blue eyes drilled into him. Sensing the fun of the night was over, he nodded in resignation and bid farewell to his friends before dutifully following the king.

They walked together towards another group of elves who were deep in conversation and the prince could not suppress the feelings of dread as his father introduced him to a beautiful dark-haired elleth in a sapphire gown that accentuated her eyes.

"Raina, daughter of Calanon," she introduced herself, smiling timidly before curtseying, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince Legolas."

"The pleasure is mine," he said with a small incline of his head.

His heart was pounding as it became clear that the dreaded moment had arrived; he was going to have to ask her to dance. He could feel his father's eyes boring into him as Raina continued to look up at him expectantly and suddenly his throat was tightening. For as long as he could remember, Veryan had been the one who was comfortable around ellith, but for Legolas it was another matter entirely. His experience with the fairer gender was next to none save for the time an elleth kissed him at one of the Fire Circles.

There was just something about dancing that he thought was truly unpleasant. Perhaps it was the fact that for the entire length of a song, there were expectations placed upon the dance partners to connect on some level, these expectation were high if you were the prince Mirkwood. What he abhorred most of all were the awkward silences.

"Would you...care to dance?" he forced out finally and Raina held out her hand for him to take.

Legolas led her to the centre of the room where other elves were dancing to the soft melody of the minstrel's flute and as they began to sway together, all he could think about was trying not to step on her foot. The prince was as graceful as could be in every other situation, and he was a fine dancer normally, but when he was nervous all of that coordination left him. It certainly did not help that Raina was quiet and demure, and from across the room he heard the amused laughs of Tauriel and Veryan as they watched him navigate the sea of awkwardness.

"Are you enjoying the party?" he said finally in an effort to get some kind of conversation started between them.

"Very much so," she replied, feeling slightly disappointed that the prince of Mirkwood was nothing like she expected him to be. All that she had heard about his masculine beauty was true from his strong jawline to his deep blue eyes like the waves of the sea, but to Raina it seemed that there was a complete mismatch between the handsome prince she saw on the outside and the awkward, timid being on the inside.

After the dance, they politely parted ways and that was the end of Raina, much to Thranduil's dismay, and for the rest of the night, one painful experience followed the other as he continued to introduce Legolas to some of the other high bred ellith of the conversations were always superficial, where he would either ask them about the party or compliment them on their dress and they would reply with some rehearsed line about how much they enjoyed the festivities and had been looking forward to meeting him.

When he'd escorted his final dance partner back to her company, the prince noticed that his father was preoccupied in a heated debate with Glindor and took it as his opportunity to disappear from the banquet hall. The party was slowly coming to an end as several of the elves were joyfully intoxicated and most of them were slumped down in chairs now when they had all begun the night standing. Legolas knew that the king had consumed enough spirits that he would not notice that his son had made an impromptu exit.

In an attempt to clear his head and ward off the effects of the wine, Legolas walked through the empty, dimly lit corridors of his father's halls. Somehow he could not help but feel that he was destined for more than the shows of royal decorum and the lists of tasks that the king pressed upon him. There had to be more, the world was so big and the elves of Mirkwood were but a lonely spec on the map of Middle Earth. He thought of the Dorwinion princess again, wondering if she felt as he did, trapped behind the solid walls of duty to the kingdom.

_'At the very least,'_ he thought, _'My father would never force me to marry someone I did not love.'_

Without knowing it, he had found his way to one of the lookout points used by the guards of the realm and there, sitting by himself against one of the walls was Veryan, staring up at the impenetrable canopy of leaves on the twisted, gnarled branches.

The dark-haired ellon smiled as he caught sight of his friend approaching. "I see you finally managed to slip away."

"I did, though it was not easy," Legolas replied as he slumped down next to Veryan, "My father is trying to find me a wife but thus far, it has not been a success."

"You will know when you find her. I certainly did."

The prince smirked. "And what is there between you and Tauriel?"

Veryan shrugged, "She pretends to think me childish, but she couldn't live without me, you see," he replied coyly, "Perhaps I ought to take her to a Fire Circle."

"You are out of your right mind," Legolas said shaking his head. The Fire Circles were no place for respectable ellith, or ellyn for that matter. He had only ever been once and the sight of such debauchery alone was enough to make him stay away from such gatherings, even if his father hadn't forbidden it.

"And you, my friend, are far too cautious," retaliated Veryan.

"I am not," Legolas replied stubbornly, "Just last night I snuck out of the halls to see the stars."

The guard snorted, "Yes, but if your father ever caught you, he would forbid it and you would obey him without question."

He raised his hand as the prince opened his mouth to protest. "Do not deny it, Legolas. You were always very eager to please your father and that is not dishonourable, but I know that you long for more."

"There is no room for more when you are the prince of the realm," defended Legolas, his voice rising in frustration, though he knew deep down in the recesses of his heart that Veryan was right. He did long for more than his mithril circlet and the confines of the caves. Suddenly his gaze softened and he exhaled deeply, "I often look to the West when I watch the stars and I wonder what is beyond our borders, what the other peoples of Arda are like."

Veryan smiled sadly and leaned his head back against the wall. "Earlier, I heard Elladan and Elrohir of Imladris describing the beautiful, open halls of their people. I've also heard that the elves of Lórien live in the treetops of the golden mallyrns. Does it not bother you that we are the only race of elves that hides away in caves? What I would not give to truly see the beauty of Arda."

"As would I," for the first time, Legolas allowed himself to speak these secret desires out loud. "Tauriel once reminded me that we are also a part of this world and I wish to see it."

This earned him a small smile from Veryan, "I told you she was remarkable."

Legolas could not help but chuckle in response and the two friends spent the remainder of night talking on the lookout until the first rays of sunlight broke through the trees. The prince felt strangely now. He knew that as soon as he spoke those words of longing for something more, and wishes to explore the world, that they had become tangible things that would forever haunt him.

**... ...**

Several weeks passed since the festivities and the late night talk with Veryan, and life for Legolas had resumed a normal, dull rhythm. Once again, the king had him running about the caves fulfilling his daily duties and making sure that everything in the realm was in order.

One night, he finished his tasks early and decided to retreat back to his bedchamber. He grabbed a book from the shelf and leaned back against the headboard of his bed, anxious to have a few moments of peace and quiet.

He hadn't read more than three words when he heard a pounding at his door. Legolas groaned at the intrusion, sitting up from the bed and placing the book on his bedside table, marked on exactly the same page he began with.

"Enter," he bade, expecting to find Gliron on the other side of the door, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Veryan instead.

The guard made certain that the door was closed before walking anxiously into the room. Legolas frowned at this odd behaviour, wondering what had gotten into his normally cheerful friend.

"Is everything alright?"

"More than alright," Veryan answered cryptically, which only puzzled the prince more.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Do you remember the rumours about the arranged marriage of the Dorwinion princess?"

Legolas gazed intently at his friend before nodding slowly, his eyebrows still furrowed. What had this to do with anything?

"I've just overheard a conversation between two merchants; apparently Cirdan accepted the match for his son and a procession is going to be leaving Dorwinion in a few weeks time to take the princess to her betrothed," explained the ellon as he rapidly paced the room.

"But what has any of this to do with us?" Legolas asked impatiently. He had never seen Veryan like this before and truthfully he was started to get worried.

"Do you not see, Legolas? The procession is going to travel from Dorwinion across the Misty Mountains, into Eriador to reach its destination. These are lands we have only dreamed of visiting but if we join the force tasked with protecting the princess on her journey, we can truly see see what lies beyond these borders."

There were very few things that could render Legolas speechless, and this was certainly one of them. He continued to stare at his friend for some time, at an utter loss for words, until he finally managed to form a coherent thought.

"So...you are suggesting that we go to Dorwinion and ask to join the procession?"

"Exactly. What do you say?"

The prince's heart was slamming against his chest now as Veryan's words echoed through him. A chance to see what lay beyond the forest of Mirkwood? His mind raced simply thinking about it and he would have had no qualms about saying 'yes' to such an offer but there was one very large problem. His father would never allow it, especially since the relations between Dorwinion and Mirkwood were less than amicable. He also did not wish to disappoint the king.

"I cannot. I am the prince, Veryan. I have duties, expectations to fulfill." His heart fell. This was not what he wanted, but what choice did he have?

"Oh yes, you have the very important task of bringing your father some books he requested from the library or making certain that his stores of wine have not dried out," Veryan replied sarcastically, "What about those things you said at the lookout? I thought you wanted to see the world, to be a part of it for once."

Feeling torn, he sighed, running a palm over his face as the conflicting responses of his mind and heart fought for dominance. The responsible, cautious prince of the realm would decline without question, but Legolas the elf wanted to say 'yes'. "My father would never allow it."

He grew slightly alarmed when he caught sight of the mischievous glint in Veryan's eye as a slow smirk spread across his face.

"That is why we won't tell him."

**... ...**

**A/N:** So what do you think? Does this story have potential? Would you like to read more? Please review and let me know! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts. Happy holidays everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here is chapter 2! I really hope you all enjoy this one. I just want to say thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story.

Enjoy!

**A Road Less Traveled: Chapter 2**

Legolas paced the room anxiously, his pulse racing as Veryan urged him to consider his proposition. He was utterly torn between obedience to his father and fulfilling his dream to see and experience the world and all it had to offer him.

"This is our one chance, Legolas," the ellon tried once more, "Are you not weary of watching from the treetops and wondering what is out there?"

"Are you out of your mind?" cried the prince, shaking his head in disbelief, "I cannot forsake my responsibilities and disappear into the night to visit a kingdom that my father despises. He would have my head."

They both knew that this was the furthest thing from an exaggeration. The king's foul temper was legendary and Legolas was quite certain that such an escapade might very well earn him a longterm stay in the dungeons once his father found out what he'd done. But what scared the prince most was not the wrath of Thranduil, but that he actually found himself tempted by the idea of escaping out into the unknown. Legolas, who worked so hard to please his father, who was ever obedient and always put his duties ahead of his happiness, was allured by the idea of doing something spontaneous for once.

The prince's inner debate was plainly written on his face and Veryan knew that he was close to breaking the stubborn resolve of Thranduil's son. The ellon walked over the small bookshelf across the room, examining the titles that he knew Legolas read over and over again when he had moments to himself. He chose one that contained maps of the world and provided detailed histories of the regions and peoples of Arda.

"The real world is out there for us to discover," argued Veryan, as he held the book up for Legolas to see, "You will not find it in these pages."

The prince sighed and took the volume from his friend's hands, opening it to the back where several years ago, he'd drawn a map of Arda on one of the blank pages. Sometimes when he looked at it, he imagined that he could place his finger on any part of the map and it would take him there, of course, all it ever amounted to was silly daydreaming. But now, Veryan was offering him a chance to turn those fantasies into a real adventure.

Legolas stared down at the map for a few moments more before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He groaned as he realized that deep down, his decision was made the moment that Veryan suggested the plan. Everything in between; the hesitation, the war of emotions raging inside him were all because he had never truly disobeyed his father before. Yes he dreamed of exploring foreign lands and leaving these caves behind him, but it was never more than a fanciful notion and Legolas never thought he would actually do it – until now.

He stared up at Veryan, sighing in defeat as he made a decision that would change his predictable, uneventful life forever.

"I will go to Dorwinion."

"I knew you would come around," Veryan said feeling rather pleased with himself as his lips curved upwards in an impish grin.

Legolas snorted, "I would not be surprised to find out that you had everything planned the moment you walked through the door."

The dark-haired ellon could do nothing but smirk in response to such an accusation. After all, he was not completely innocent.

For much of the night afterwards, the two elves stayed up by candlelight making a list of supplies that they would need to bring with them and they planned their journey on one of the maps in Legolas' book. The kingdom of Dorwinion rested close to the shores of the Rhun sea and all they would have to do was follow the trade route along the river, where there were certainly outposts for them to rest.

They concluded by agreeing to meet at the stables the following night and when Veryan had gone, Legolas threw himself on his bed, sprawling out over the furs. It was difficult to place the feelings coursing through him for they were strange and foreign. Never in his long life had he done something like this and it was both frightening and exhilarating at once. The prince stared up at the ceiling for a long time that night, counting the ridges in the stone and wondering what in Middle Earth he had gotten himself into.

**... ...**

All that Legolas could think about the next day as he walked through corridors, going about his daily duties, was that that come nightfall he and Veryan would take the river eastward. He knew that when they did return from their journey, they would not be the same; in fact, Legolas already felt that he had changed in some way by daring to disobey the king.

As the sun began to set over the forest of Mirkwood, the prince entered his father's study for the final report of the day. Thranduil, who sat lost in thought at his desk, looked up when he saw Legolas approaching.

"It has all been done," he said placing the list with all the check marks on the desk, to which the king nodded his approval, "Is there anything else?"

Thranduil shook his head and Legolas took this as a sign to leave. But there was something else, something the king had wanted to say to his son for a long while but the right opportunity had never seemed to present itself. He didn't know why, but now felt like the right moment.

"Legolas, there is one other thing," he said and the prince paused in the doorway, looking expectantly at his father, "Will you close the door and sit for a few moments?"

Legolas furrowed his eyebrows but did as he was told and when he was comfortably siting in one of the chairs in front of Thranduil's desk, he hadn't the slightest idea of what would come next.

The king sighed as he took one long look at his son. Raising him alone hadn't been easy once Maerwen was taken from them, but he had done his best to juggle the duties of the kingdom and fatherhood all at once. Despite the lack of a close relationship between them, Thranduil thought that Legolas had turned into a fine ellon and that someday he would make a fine king.

"Is everything alright?" Legolas prompted, feeling slightly self-conscious at being so thoroughly examined in the dim light of the room.

The king nodded and placed his forearms on the oak surface of the desk. "I just wished to say how proud I am of you, Legolas. No father could wish for a better son."

The prince swallowed the lump in his throat, as a mixture of surprise and ultimately guilt set in. His father didn't often open up to him, and it only served now to make Legolas feel awful about his plans to run away. Would his father still feel that he couldn't ask for a better son once he found out what he'd done?

"It means a great deal to hear you say that," he said finally, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

A small, contained smile formed on Thranduil's lips and moments later it was gone. "Sleep well, Legolas," he said before returning to his work.

The prince bade his father a good night and retreated back down the corridor, suddenly feeling uncertain about his planned escapade, but he managed to convince himself by the time he reached his bedchamber that this was for the best. It had to be for it was the only way to quell the guilt that was gnawing at him.

All he had to do now was to prepare and slip out of caves unseen as he had thousands of times before. In mere moments he'd laid out on the surface of his bed extra clothing, some packages of Lembas bread that he'd stolen from the pantry earlier that day while doing inventory, extra supplies and a small purse with a few gold coins. When all was neatly put away in his leather pack, Legolas found the book that he and Veryan had been working out of the night before and slowly tore out the map, which he neatly folded and placed on the inside of his jerkin for safekeeping.

He strapped his quiver, slung his bow over his back and sheathed his knives in their scabbard. When everything was ready, Legolas took one last look at the safe, comforting walls of his chamber and with a deep breath, he turned towards the door. There was no looking back now.

Veryan was waiting for him with the horses when he finally reached the stables after expertly weaving his way through the caves.

"Are you ready?" asked the guard. The moon, partly hidden behind the tall trees, cast a soft light across his face.

Legolas nodded and caressed his coal black stallion before the two elves led the beasts as silently as they could through the forest to the banks of the river.

**... ...**

After days of following the current of the Celduin and humbly spending their nights in various trading outposts, the two elves rode into a lush land of rolling hills and vineyards as far as the eye could see. Soon, they left the dirt road and entered a small town where merchants were selling the produce of the day and various other wares at market. Most stalls belonged to the vintners of the kingdom with bottles of Dorwinion's famous wines stacked up one onto the other. Centuries ago, Legolas had been told by a merchant in Mirkwood that when making wine, the Dorwinion elves used special grapes and bruised them in a unique way to bring out their taste. However there was an additional, secret process that only the vintners of this land knew and that was how they achieved the perfection of their wines. Only a native of Dorwinion could become a vintner and the secret was passed down from generation to generation. As a result, the rest of Arda was doomed to be forever intrigued by this mysterious and secretive process and the kingdom remained the leader in the exporting of fine wines to all corners of the world.

As they rode slowly through the hustle and bustle of the town, taking in all of the exotic sights and smells, Legolas noticed that the elves they passed were giving them strange looks. This was the last kingdom of the Avari elves who'd largely vanished from Middle Earth, and although most of the inhabitants of Dorwinion now were of a mixed Silvan heritage due to the extensive contact over the millennia with the people of Thranduil's realm, the sight of a Sindar elf with golden hair in their lands was quite...unusual for many of the townspeople.

Veryan smirked as he caught sight of Legolas' discomfort under the scrutiny of several curious glances.

"I supposed it's not everyday that they receive such...intriguing visitors," he said.

"No, I suppose not," Legolas replied finally, unable to place the feelings that raced through him. There were no market towns in Mirkwood and due to the propensity of large, black spiders that had made their home in the forest, none of the elves spent very much time outside of the caves, except the woodland guard that was tasked with keeping the borders safe. What he'd seen here in so short a time was all so novel, so very different than anything he'd ever experienced in his life and despite the odd looks that continued to make him self-conscious, Legolas wanted to experience everything he could during his short stay in Dorwinion.

The companions continued along the small winding streets until the pathway became too narrow for them to ride through. Both elves dismounted their horses and led the beasts the rest of the way on foot. As he was looking around him, the prince caught his first glimpse of the royal palace in the near distance as it sat proudly on the shores of the Rhun sea. In that instant, all his doubts about sneaking off drifted away as he attempted to take in every breathtaking detail.

"It's...incredible," he whispered, observing the beautiful architecture of the towering white walls, so unlike the dark caves of Mirkwood.

Veryan nodded in agreement, a slow smile spreading across his face. He knew that Legolas was worried about what his father would say when he found them gone, but as the prince's eyes widened in astonishment, he knew that they had made the right choice in deciding to go out and explore the world.

The only choice.

**... ...**

After stopping to ask several of the townspeople where they could find lodging for the next several nights, the two elves arrived at the Fox's Tail inn. It was a charming little place near the market with barely more than a handful of rooms but it was homely and the owner and his wife made certain that their strange new guests were well settled.

Once in their double room, Legolas washed the dirt from his face, sighing contentedly as the droplets of water slid down his neck.

_'What a day,'_ he thought. Only three moons ago, he'd said goodbye to his own room in Mirkwood and now he was further from home than he'd ever been in his life. He wondered at the reaction of his father upon hearing of the disappearance of his son and one of the woodland guards. Surely by now, the king was scouring the land in search of them.

As he remained lost in thought, Legolas rummaged through his pack to find clothing that was more comfortable to wear than those he'd spent days riding in. The afternoon sun hung lower in the sky as the rays filtered through the tiny room, dancing across the prince's face; there was still time to explore the town before dusk and he was going to take full advantage of the opportunity.

After changing, he made his way down to the dining room where Veryan was already enjoying a glass of some of Dorwinion's best and strongest wine – apparently well earned as well.

"I thought I might visit the market before sundown," he said, shaking his head in amusement as Veryan finished his wine in two gulps, "Would you like to join me?"

"I would," Veryan said eagerly, placing his glass on the table and following Legolas out the door.

The roads were less busy now than they had been at mid-day, but nonetheless, the two elves found themselves captivated by everything around them. Taking some of small side-streets heading eastward to the centre of the town, where they had seen some of the more interesting vendor stalls on their ride in that featured exotic fruits, talismans, silks and spices that were so strong that the air was full of pungent smells.

Once again, they received curious stares from many of the elves as they walked passed the various stalls, but the prince was slowly learning to not let them bother him. After all, there was so much to see, so much to do, that his mind was pulling him in a hundred directions at once. There was no time for doubt or self-consciousness.

While Veryan perused the wares of one of the goldsmiths in the hopes of finding something to bring back for Tauriel, Legolas stopped at one of the other stalls further down to look at some of the hand-drawn maps of the different regions of Arda.

"Have you been to all of these places?" he asked, looking up at the ellon behind the counter.

"I have," the merchant replied with a smile in fluent Sindarin, "I gather that you are not from these parts."

"No, my companion and I are here on business," Legolas said hesitantly, reluctant to reveal that he was from Mirkwood.

The merchant gazed at him with interest, "Whereabouts are you from?"

Unfortunately for the prince, that was the precise moment that his mind chose to draw a complete blank.

"Well...we..." he stammered, hoping to be able to improvise as he went along, but absolutely nothing came to him.

Just as the merchant was about to ask him if he was feeling quite alright, there was a disturbance at one of the jewelry stalls nearby.

Soon a crowd was forming around the merchant who'd been tackled to the ground while his assailant made off with a gold necklace.

"Stop thief!" he cried as several of the other elves helped him to his feet and someone ran to find the guards.

The unease of the previous moment was quickly forgotten in the commotion and Legolas spotted the crook running through one of the narrow streets, pushing through people that were getting in the way of his escape. The guards were not going to arrive on time to catch the perpetrator and the prince knew that something had to be done. He sighed, realizing his mind was made up, and took off after the thief, weaving his way through the growing crowd of people who'd stopped to see what was happening.

When the thief realized he had someone on his tail, he quickened his pace and turned off into one of the side streets. A frustrated groan escaped the prince's lips as the thief continued to give him the slip by taking him into a labyrinth of small paths, having the advantage of knowing this town, while Legolas had only just arrived.

Looking up at the roofs of the shops and homes, he realized he might have a better chance of running the thief down if he could ambush him from above. A group of onlookers pointed and gasped as the strange ellon with golden hair scaled the walls and began running across the rooftops in an effort to wear down his target. Fortunately for Legolas, the distance between buildings was not too great and he was able to jump fairly easily from one to the other without having to slow down.

After a few moments of sprinting through the streets, the thief looked back and realized with relief that his pursuer was no longer on his heels. Thinking the chase was over, he slowed to a halt and exhaled as he greedily examined his prize. Just then, there was a hissing through the air and the thief felt a throbbing in his hand as an arrow shot right through the palm, sending the piece of jewelry to the ground. A howl of pain followed as the thief clutched his wounded hand and searched in vain for the source of the arrow.

Moments later, Legolas leaped down from the rooftop above, bow in hand with another arrow ready to fire directly between the thief's eyes.

"Are you quite finished?" asked the prince, his chest rising and falling as he panted from the chase.

By the time Veryan, arrived, Legolas had the necklace in hand and the perpetrator on the ground, groaning in pain.

"We are here an afternoon and you've already managed to save the day," Veryan said with incredulity, noticing that several elves were curiously looking out their windows.

He was about to inspect Legolas' handiwork when all of a sudden a host of guards arrived on the scene, swords drawn. The prince was immediately told to drop his weapon while the orders were given to take the thief to the dungeons.

One of the guards turned towards the heroes of the hour as a crowd of townspeople grew steadily around them.

"The Captain will wish to see you both."

**... ...**

The silence was truly unnerving as Legolas and Veryan walked steadily through the corridors of the palace in the company of several armed guards. Only the echoing sound of boots on the floor could be heard, and the two elves were slightly apprehensive as to what awaited them in the Captain's quarters. Nothing had been explained to them but Veryan reassured the prince that nothing bad could come of this – at least that was what he hoped – after all, he had single-handedly arrested a thief attempting to make off with something of great value.

Legolas snorted at the bitter irony of the situation, remembering how he'd wished earlier that day to get close enough to truly see the palace. This was not what he'd had in mind.

They finally reached a large wooden door at the end of the long hallway and one of the guards knocked before they were bade to enter.

When he noticed the presence of two foreign elves in his quarters, the Captain frowned.

"What is this?" he asked, "Who are they?"

"They apprehended a thief in the market place, Captain," explained one of the guards as he nudged Legolas and Veryan forward, "We thought that you might wish to speak with them."

The Captain examined them for several moments, uncertain what to make of these strange elves. It was immediately clear that they were not from these lands.

"From whence do you come?" he inquired.

Legolas groaned inwardly. Not again. He hadn't known what to say to the merchant with the maps, and now if the guards of Dorwinion found out that they had a pair of elves from Mirkwood in their midsts, they would immediately be sent back. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried in vain to think of something but just as he'd given up hope, he heard Veryan speak.

"We hail from Imladris," he explained, with slight hesitation that told the prince that his friend was improvising, "My name is Veryan, I am the son of a healer in the halls of Lord Elrond and this is my companion Faeron, whose father is a prominent smith."

"Is that so?" the Captain gazed suspiciously at Legolas, whose throat had begun closing up.

"Yes," he said, after receiving a slight nudge from Veryan.

The Captain regarded them for a few moments more, as though deciding whether he wished to believe their story or not. After what seemed an eternity to both Legolas and Veryan, the ellon sighed in resignation.

"I suppose we owe you both a debt of gratitude then, for apprehending the perpetrator."

Legolas immediately shook his head, eager to get back to the inn and avoid any more close encounters. "It was nothing, really. We will simply be on our way."

"Nonsense, there must be something," insisted the Captain as he looked from one ellon to the other.

"Perhaps if you can guide us to the person responsible for the procession to the Kingdom of Lindon," Veryan suggested suddenly, earning him a strange look from Legolas, "You see, we also have business there and we thought we might join the princess' company."

The Captain furrowed his eyebrows, "If that is truly what you wish, then I can grant it for I am the one responsible for the safety of the princess on her journey. But is there not something more...practical that you might wish for instead?"

Both Veryan and Legolas shook their heads, unable to believe their sheer luck. When they arrived they hadn't a clue how they were going to join the procession of the princess, but now it seemed that fate had dropped the perfect opportunity right into their laps.

"Very well," said the Captain, "In two days time, there is to be a celebration at the palace in honour of the betrothal, you are both welcome to attend the festivities if you wish."

"We would be honoured," replied Legolas, casting a look of relief towards his friend.

"Good. Welcome to our company, Masters Veryan and Faeron."

**... ...**

Legolas and Veryan continued to exchange disbelieving glances as one of the guards escorted them from the palace grounds. They could hardly fathom how everything had worked out so perfectly in their favour. Perhaps this had been their destiny all along and the Valar were simply paving the way for them.

As they walked through the lush gardens of the palace, Legolas marvelled at the dozens of tall apple trees with fruit on their branches, ripe for the picking. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an elleth reading a book against one of the tree trunks. He observed, rather curiously, as she turned a page and pushed her long chestnut hair to the side as it fell in her face. The prince was rather amused when she resumed her previous concentration with a small bite of her lower lip.

"Who is she?" he asked before he could help himself.

As they passed right by the tree, Legolas watched the princess' concentrated frown dissolve into a delighted smile and he wondered what title she was reading.

"Princess Anariel, the only daughter of our beloved king," replied the guard as he continued to lead them.

Hearing her name, the princess looked up from her book and smiled timidly, wondering, as she watched them leave the gardens, who the mysterious visitors could be.

_**... ...**_

**A/N:** I hope this chapter was enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to your feedback on this to see whether or not this story is worth pursuing. So please review and tell me what you think!

In the next chapter, our favourite elf and the Dorwinion princess may finally meet ;)

For awesome Legolas/OC romances check out **KD Skywalker**'s **Reflections **series and **Raider-k**'s **Wanderlust** they're some of my fav!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2014 is good to each and every one of you.

Thank you to **IloveStBerry, HyacinthiaPhoenix, starfire341, Borys68, Applejax XD, Raider-K, LegolasGreenleafLove, heroherondaletotheresuce **for reviewing the last chapter and thank you to those of you who favourited and followed as well :) I'm still in the experimental phase with this story so I would love your feedback on whether or not you'd like to read more.

**Note: **I realized there was a bit of an issue with there being a king of Lindon because Círdan the Shipwright is actually the "ruler" of Lindon in Tolkien's legendarium so I went back and tweaked the first two chapters so that the Dorwinion princess is betrothed to Círdan's son, a lord of Lindon, instead. Yes, I know Tolkien never mentioned anything about the Shipwright having a son, but that's why they call it fanfiction, is it not? ;)

A big thank you to **KD Skywalker **for her help on this one!

**A Road Less Traveled: Chapter 3**

Over the next few days, the kingdom of Dorwinion came alive with preparations for the masked ball in honour of the princess' betrothal. The shops were at their busiest as all of the noble families of the land sought the most beautiful finery so that they would look their best the night of the celebration. All of the jewellers, dressmakers and tailors had last minute orders up to the tips of their pointed ears and chaos ensued as each of them worked long days to fulfill every request and collaborated diligently with the craftsmen who made beautiful masks of every shape and size, painted in a wide array of colours.

The last time King Aradan of Dorwinion had thrown a ball was to celebrate the nuptials of his son Thalion to an elleth from a noble family a hundred and fifty years earlier and this was going to be a celebration that the kingdom would not soon forget.

Having arrived with nothing but clothing for travelling, Legolas and Veryan joined the frenzy of elves who were hastening to the various workshops in an effort to find something more suitable to wear to a ball. At the recommendation of their innkeeper, they found themselves at a small tailor's shop on the outskirts of the town – guaranteed to be subject to far less traffic than the ones near the town centre; this meant that Legolas and Veryan's robes would be ready in time for the festivities. Legolas paid upfront in gold for both of their outfits and though the tailor was quite surprised by this, he decided against asking any questions about his strange-looking patrons.

Towards the end of a long morning, after being poked and prodded with needles for the better part of it, the two exhausted elves made the short trek back to the Fox Tail's Inn. But as they reached the door, Legolas realized they'd forgotten something very important.

"We cannot attend a masked ball without masks."

"By the Valar, you're right," said Veryan with a tinge of exasperation to his voice. For the life of him, he could not understand what ellith found so enjoyable about spending an entire day looking for things to buy. One morning was enough to drain his energy until the next day – and for an elf, that was saying something.

Reluctantly, they made their way to the market place, where they could see various elves staring at them with a mixture of wonder and suspicion, and whispering to one another about how the elf with the golden hair had bested the palace guards and single-handedly stopped a runaway thief.

As soon as they entered the crowded shop, Veryan picked up the first mask he saw, a bird with a very large beak. "How about this one?" He smirked as he held it up for Legolas to see, "It would complement your sizable nose."

Legolas self-consciously brought his hand up to his nose, frowning, "I do _not_ have a large nose. Perhaps the mask would better fit your sizeable ego."

"You're such a bore, Legolas. I was only teasing."

The prince ignored his friend and slowly examined the various masks on display in the small workshop – which was a slightly difficult task as the number of people inside far exceeded the capacity of the shop. Anything their imagination could conjure; the craftsman seemed to have brought to life. There were animals; birds like the mask Veryan had shown him, felines, wolves, foxes. There were masks that covered the entire face and others that revealed everything below the nose. They came in bright reds, deep blues, purples and pinks all the way to the more neutral golds, silvers and blacks. Some were embellished with feathers, jewels and headdresses while others were simpler; painted white or ivory with small bursts of colour.

Soon, he spotted silver-blue mask overlaid with gold leaf swirls on a table at the other end of the room and walked over to examine it. So far, it was the only one that had caught his eye, the only one he thought he would not feel utterly ridiculous wearing.

"What of this one?" he asked, holding it up for Veryan who was looking over at some of the more colourful masks, "It's the same colour as my robes."

"It's a nice one. I believe it suits you, though I still think I prefer the bird," Veryan teased, "Now," he said, trying on a red and gold, half-faced mask to go with his burgundy robes, "I think I'm quite settled on this one. What do you think?"

Legolas chuckled as Veryan modelled his mask with the confidence of a peacock. If only Tauriel could see them, how she would roll her eyes. If only his father could see them, now that would be a different story entirely.

"It seems that we've accomplished our mission," he said finally, shaking away these thoughts and deciding on the silver-blue mask for himself. After they paid the craftsmen, he and Veryan set off into the hectic streets of town with their purchases to try and find their way back to the inn.

Strangely enough, Legolas had yet to feel homesick, there was so much to see and so much to do that he was constantly occupied, leaving him with hardly any time to think of home. Was he wary of his father's anger when he returned? Yes. But did he regret running off? Absolutely not. Tomorrow, they would attend the royal ball and Legolas smiled as he realized that for the first time at such a celebration, he didn't have to be the prince.

**... ...**

The princess flinched as the seamstress poked her with needles so that the final adjustments could be made to the dress she was wearing to the ball.

Standing in front of a long mirror in her bedchamber, Anariel watched as her lady in waiting, Silima, helped the seamstress to pin certain sections of the dress in place so that she could make the necessary alterations. It was a beautiful gown, made of sparkling silver silks with long, flowing sleeves, and the bodice was accentuated with a small silver belt at the waist. Ana had a difficult time imagining how anything could be more beautiful and truthfully she felt rather plain looking. As beautiful as it was, her mother assured her that this gown would pale in comparison to the one she would wear when she wed the son of Círdan.

Ana pulled her long chestnut hair to the front, so that the seamstress could more easily work on the back of the dress, and she looked at the woman staring back at her in the mirror. Would she be happy in Lindon? Would she be happy in a place so far away from everything she'd ever known, wed to an ellon she'd never met who was thousands of years older than she was?

Her father always insisted to her that with such a match, the kingdom of Dorwinion would prosper and her brother Thalion would have a strong ally in the West when he was ready to ascend the throne. Ana had no doubt that all of these things were true, yet it also meant giving up her chance of finding love like Thalion had.

She sighed, knowing the choice was not hers but her father's and she was bound to obey him. Whether she wished for it or not, Lindon was her future.

"Ouch!" she winced again as Silima accidentally stuck her with another needle, "I still do not understand why we must have another fitting. We've had three already and the ball is tomorrow."

"There was an error made in the measurements at the last fitting and the queen wishes for the gown to be taken in more," Silima said as she tightened the lacings at the back so that they could see what the dress looked like once all of the pins were in place.

"Hold still," instructed the seamstress as she placed the final pin, "There, that should do it."

Silima clasped her hands together like a proud mother as she walked around to see the front of the dress. "It's beautiful," she said, "You will certainly turn heads tomorrow evening."

"Círdan's son is a fortunate ellon," said the seamstress and Ana smiled sadly at the thought of having to leave her home behind. The ray of light was that Silima would be going with her and that thought was what comforted her. That, and the thought that she would finally get to see the famed beauty of the Grey Havens.

Not only was Silima her lady in waiting, but she was Ana's best friend. They had grown up at court together and ever since they were elflings, they were inseparable. Silima was her confidante, and she knew that the princess was slightly apprehensive about making Lindon her home. She placed her hand comfortingly on Ana's shoulder, conveying that no matter what they always had each other and they were in this together.

"I heard the strangest thing from some of the gossiping maids," she said trying to change the subject for Ana, "Apparently a foreigner helped apprehend a thief in the market place the other day."

The princess furrowed her eyebrows, "A foreigner?"

"Oh yes, I heard about that as well," said the seamstress, "But instead I heard that there were two of them traveling together. The cook told me that his wife heard that the thief was shot through the hand before he was carted off to the dungeons. I've also been told that his pursuer actually scaled the rooftops to run him down!"

As Silima and the seamstress continued to speak eagerly of the two heroes of the market place, Ana thought this was all very peculiar for she remembered that only days ago she saw two ellyn she'd never met before following one of the palace guards through the gardens. It was very rare to see an elf with golden hair in these parts and she had a strange suspicion that these two might be the foreigners that Silima was talking about.

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and Silima went to answer, holding the door open just a crack. When Ana heard the familiar voice in the hallway, a slow smile spread across her face and, much to the dismay of the seamstress, she rushed across the room excitedly in her new gown.

"Thalion!"

The crown prince of Dorwinion had finally returned home after months of journeying to the lands further east so that he could cultivate trading relations with some of the cities of men. As children, Ana and her brother had been close, he'd even played the part of the fire breathing dragon in her games with Silima, but now that he was married and his wife was expecting their first child, king Aradan had begun to place more and more responsibility for the realm on the shoulders of his only son and heir. Thalion and Ana began spending less and less time together over the years and even though at times he drove her mad, she still missed her older brother.

The dark-haired ellon chuckled as he caught his sister in his arms and held her close to him before pulling back to take a good look at her.

"The dress is beautiful," he said looking over her dress, which the seamstress was frantically trying to keep pinned up. He clicked his tongue and shook his head as his voice adopted a mocking tone, "However, the elleth wearing it…"

Ana smirked at his quip, "Yes, well you need a bath," she said as she took in his soiled riding clothes and the small streaks of dirt across his handsome face, "When did you arrive?"

"Our company rode in a short time ago."

"Just don't let your wife see you like this."

Thalion laughed, "It is too late for that. I saw Cuilwen before I came here and she nearly threw me into the bath."

"Rightfully so," Ana teased, "You stink, brother."

They spoke for a few moments about his travels to the East amid playful teasing that only siblings could get away with. All the while, Silima was trying to avert her gaze from Thalion, whom she'd harboured secret feelings for since her one hundredth begetting day. She knew there could never be anything between them for he was in love with Cuilwen and they were expecting a child, but nevertheless she continued to hold a place for him in her heart, hoping that one day those feelings for him would fade and she would meet the one she was truly supposed to be with.

Of course, Ana knew this and as she continued to speak with her brother, she would occasionally cast worried glances at Silima to make certain that she was alright. There was nothing worse than unrequited love.

"Well I must be off," said Thalion as he took a step back into the hallway, "It is time I made myself presentable."

"Yes, and it is time that the princess removed her gown before she ruins it," the seamstress said exasperatedly with her hands on her hips.

"Could we perhaps go for a stroll later?" Ana called out to her brother as the seamstress led her away from the door.

Thalion smiled sadly, "I wish I could, Ana, but I am expected to meet with father and his advisors after I've freshened up."

He could see the disappointment crossing her face before it was replaced with a saddened look of understanding. She missed him and he missed her, yet his duties did not permit them to spend time together as they used to. The only thing that Ana could think of was that they were running out of time; in less than a week she was departing for Lindon and then there was no telling when she would be able to see her family. Life as she knew it was going to change.

"Ana…please don't be upset. You know I want nothing more than to be with my little sister."

"I know," she said with a small smile, "I understand." At least, she was trying to, but that did not make it any easier.

Thalion walked back into the room and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I will see you tomorrow at the ball."

With that, he was gone and Ana listened to the drop of footsteps down the hall until she couldn't hear them anymore.

**... ...**

The anticipated night of the ball finally arrived and as the sun set over the kingdom of Dorwinion, Legolas and Veryan donned their attire for the celebration, feeling quite uncertain of what to expect when they arrived at the king's halls.

"Still no regrets?" Veryan asked as he stepped out wearing his burgundy robes.

Legolas undid the braids from his hair and combed his fingers through the long golden locks, "I suppose we will see after tonight," he said as he placed the silver-blue mask over his face, "Anything can happen."

"But it won't," assured Veryan, "Because we will have a plan."

The prince was thankful that the mask was hiding his face so that his friend could not see the look of skepticism that marred it. "What plan...exactly?"

Veryan placed his hands on Legolas's shoulders and led him to the full length mirror on the other side of their bedroom.

"May I present Masters Veryan and Faeron of Imladris," he said gesturing to their reflections in the mirror, "You are the son of a smith and I am the son of a healer, we are here on business and we are travelling with the procession of the princess so that we may attend to other important matters in Lindon."

The prince pushed Veryan's hand away and shook his head, "No. We barely got passed the Captain of the guard with that story."

"But we did succeed," insisted Veryan, "If you have another great plan, I am most eager to hear it. Unless you intend on telling everyone at the ball that are you are the son of Thranduil of Mirkwood, but mark my words, if you do that they will send us back faster than you can pull an arrow from your quiver."

Legolas pressed his lips into a thin line, knowing his friend was right. If they revealed who they were now, they would be sent home to face the wrath of his father and he would forever be locked away behind great stone walls. No, they had come too far now to go back, and more importantly, Legolas didn't want to. Their adventure had barely begun and already he felt more alive than he ever had in his entire life.

When Veryan heard the defeated sigh, he knew that the prince would need no more convincing.

"Alright," said Legolas, "You win."

Veryan smiled triumphantly as he walked over to his dresser to fasten his red and gold mask over his face, "It's ironic isn't it?"

The prince furrowed his eyebrows. "What is?"

"That the one purpose of a masked ball is to add an air of mystery to the festivities by hiding the identities of the guests, and it just so happens that is exactly what we are attempting to do."

**... ...**

The room was plagued with a heavy silence as Silima slowly tightened the lacings at the back of Ana's gown. With the alterations of the seamstress, the silver silk flatteringly hugged the princess' curves and the skirt flowed downward into a very small train.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Silima's soft voice cut through the silence of the room and pulled the princess from her thoughts.

"I hope so," she replied. This ball made everything real; the betrothal, the journey to Lindon and having to leave her home for good. Whether Ana was ready or not, the fateful day of their departure was fast approaching and the celebration tonight was a stark reminder of that.

"No matter what happens," said Silima, "I am here at your side."

"Thank the Valar for that, you are my dearest friend and I would be lost without you."

The lady in waiting smiled and led the princess to her vanity so she could comb through her hair before styling it for the ball. She finally decided to leave most of Ana's chestnut locks to cascade down to the middle of her back, save for a few pieces at the top of her head that were pulled back loosely to frame her face and intricately pinned.

"Thank you Silima," Ana stared at her reflection in the mirror, admiring her friend's handiwork. She moved her gaze to the mask on her dresser. I was painted ivory with beautiful silver lace detailing that brought out her dress. "I suppose we had better join the festivities before we are missed."

Ana rose from her chair with a small sigh and picked up the mask, bringing it to her face and fastening it in place with two silk ribbon ties which Silima helped her conceal with pieces of hair.

When both were ready and wearing their masks, the two ellith made their way through the palace towards the sounds of merrymaking that were coming from the banquet hall. The ball was already in full swing when they walked in and Ana watched for a few moments as perhaps a hundred guests danced together or conversed at several of the long oak tables. She was in awe at the large array of colours in the room; the various gowns, robes and masks blending together in a palette of eye-catching hues. While she knew many of the noble families at court, it was impossible for her to tell who was whom tonight as the masks concealed all and added an air of mystery to the evening. The fun of it all was trying to guess which face was hidden behind which mask, though it didn't take very long for Ana to recognize her mother and father who speaking to some of the guests on the other side of the large room, and Thalion and his very pregnant wife who were dancing together.

Just then, the queen turned her gaze towards her daughter and Silima and she beckoned them over with a gesture of her hand. Ana groaned inwardly, she had been there less than a few moments and already the torture was commencing.

When they finally managed to weave their way through the bustling and frenzied maze of party guests, the king and queen were in deep conversation with an ellon and his wife.

"Ah, Anariel," said the king when she and Silima joined their circle, "I do not believe you have met Lord Gondien for he is most often away from the realm on business. He owns a vineyard that has become rather prosperous over the last few decades."

The princess put on her rehearsed smile that reserved for when her parents introduced her to important subjects of the realm and curtseyed respectfully, "It is a pleasure," she said softly.

"Truly the pleasure is all mine, your highness," greeted the vintner and all Ana could think of was how strange it was to be introduced to this ellon for the first time and yet because of the mask, she didn't really know who she was speaking with. She had a name but no face to connect to it.

"Some wine, your highness?" One of the servants offered her a glass and she nodded, taking it from his hands.

"Thank you," she said, taking a sip. The strong wine burned her throat at first but as she continued to sip on it, the burning was replaced with a delightful smoothness that characterized most Dorwinion wines.

She didn't have long to enjoy it before her parents were introducing her to yet another one of their prominent subjects.

This was certainly going to be an interesting night.

**... ...**

Neither Legolas nor Veryan knew what to expect when they entered the banquet hall but what their eyes beheld was far more magnificent than either could have ever imagined. The room was shaped like a large rectangle with great big windows along the length of it that allowed the light of the moon to bathe the wooden floors and cast shadows of the windowpanes across the room.

The high ceilings were vaulted and Legolas marvelled at the architecture. It was so open, so beautiful and full of light and he'd never seen anything quite like it before. The beauty of the room was only accentuated by the flooding of colours worn by the guests of the ball and the variety of masks was truly astounding – there appeared to be more of them in this room than in all the mask-makers' workshops combined. Even the servants were wearing masks for the occasion.

"At the very least we blend in," Veryan observed.

The prince smirked at his statement. Tonight he intended to do nothing more than enjoy the bustle of activity around him and the wide array of golden wines at their disposal. Tonight and for the next several months, Legolas the prince of Mirkwood would be put to rest.

As couples danced around them and the atmosphere of the ball became merrier and livelier with every new barrel of wine opened, the two elves spent the better part of the evening making polite, but superficial conversation with some of the party guests who were slightly intrigued by the presence of foreigners. They were even more surprised when Veryan revealed that they were from Imladris. This prompted a series of questions that he and Legolas had anticipated and prepared for so that they would not feel caught as they did in front of the Captain of the guard the day the thief was arrested.

The conversations never lasted very long, which Legolas was grateful for because despite the sense of confidence that came from concealing half his face with a mask, he was uncomfortable with lying. There was always the chance that they would say something wrong and get caught, but Veryan continued to insist that he was worrying far too much.

"Just enjoy the night. Enjoy not having to dance with elleth after elleth, pushed at you by your father. Enjoy the freedom that we now have because of these new aliases."

Beneath his mask, the prince regarded Veryan with uncertainty and said nothing as they stood alone together, away from the main activities of the ball.

"I suppose you are right," he said finally and this caused his friend to smile.

"Good, now no more of this nonsense Legol- uh, I mean Faeron." He looked down at his glass of wine and realized that it was empty, "Would you like some more? I believe it was time I hunted down one of the servants."

Legolas barely had the time to nod before Veryan had taken his glass from his hands and walked off in search of a refill. As his friend disappeared in the crowd, the prince swept his eyes over the expanse of the room and the other guests. He was enjoying himself quite well but not to the extent that they were as clearly most of the elves in attendance knew one another somehow. Legolas watched the various couples dancing to the lively music of the minstrel; most of them appeared to be in their own little world, as though they were not swaying amid dozens of others in a crowded room, but just the two of them.

He searched the overcrowded hall for Veryan, who had by this point been gone slightly longer than he should have and decided that he would walk around in search of his friend.

During this time, Ana had finally managed to escape her parents after an evening filled with more introductions and names than she could possibly be expected to remember. After her father became engrossed in conversation with one of the nobles of the realm and his wife, the opportunity finally presented itself and she slipped away into the large gathering of party guests. She cautiously looked around her, hoping that her parents hadn't yet noticed her disappearance and thanked the Valar that she would be allowed a moment of reprieve.

Ana was in a little world of her own, walking around the banquet hall with her eyes peeled for any sign of her mother and father, when she slammed into something hard. She braced herself for a collision with the floor but instead she found herself wrapped in a pair of strong arms.

"I'm so sorry. I cannot believe how careless..." she began to apologize but she looked up and the words suddenly trailed off mid-sentence. For a few moments all she could do was stare; his face was concealed with a mask, save for his piercing blue eyes, but it was quite clear that her rescuer was none other than the strange, fair haired elf that she'd seen only days ago in the palace gardens.

"Are you alright?" Legolas asked, making sure that she was steady on her feet, and feeling slightly self-conscious as she continued to examine him.

Ana shook her head as she realized she was making him uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare, it's just that everyone here is dark-haired and it's not every day that we see..."

"Hair like mine," he finished.

"Right," she said feeling a bit like an idiot for making such an obvious statement, "and once again, I'm sorry for running into you like that. I tend to get lost in my thoughts. It makes for quite the hazard and at times I feel that I am the least graceful elleth in Arda."

She smiled apologetically and despite the strangeness of the situation, Legolas smirked at her quip, his eyes studying her for a moment. Now that she had straightened up, he noticed that she was quite tall, but still shorter than he was with long, chestnut hair that fell down to the middle of her back and through her silver mask, he glimpsed her soft hazel eyes.

"There was no harm done," he reassured, "Are you certain you're alright?"

Ana nodded and her lips turned up in a small smile. "Yes, but only because you were so kind as to catch me before I became better acquainted with the floor."

Legolas about to ask her what it was that had occupied her thoughts to the degree that she would forget to look where she was walking, but that was the precise moment at which Ana spotted her mother looking for her on the other side of the banquet hall.

Groaning inwardly, she ducked out of sight behind her new acquaintance as the queen's gaze moved in their direction, and Legolas could do nothing but frown at her sudden and odd behaviour.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no," she replied, which only puzzled Legolas more. She waited until it was safe before finally coming out of hiding. Beneath her mask she was blushing furiously at having made such an embarrassment of herself but anything was better than having to spend the rest of the evening learning more names and titles.

"You see, my parents had me make the rounds of the ball room for most of the evening so that they could introduce me to some of the more important peers of the realm and I slipped away for a moment of reprieve. But I fear that that will quickly come to an end as I can see my mother searching for me on the other side of the room."

Legolas looked out across the hall and spotted an elleth in a sapphire blue gown whose look of concentration as she scanned the room with her eyes was clear confirmation that she must be the mother.

"I see her," he said contemplatively, "What should we do?"

In response, Ana placed her hand on his arm. "Dance with me."

Legolas stared down at her hand and hesitated. "Well…I don't really-"

"Please, just until she stops looking. You saved me from the floor moments ago and if you save me from my mother, I will be eternally grateful."

Well...just once could not hurt, even if he abhorred dancing. There was also the notion that this elleth was rather endearing and he would feel utterly responsible if she were forced to spend the rest of the night being tortured by her parents. Much to her surprise, and his own, as she began to remove her hand Legolas caught it and placed it once more on his arm.

"A dance it is, then."

Ana looked up to meet his gaze with a soft smile before allowing him to lead her to the centre of the room.

As he slid his palm to the small of her back and she placed her hand in his, Legolas couldn't help but wonder, as their eyes met, who this elleth was behind her silver mask. He had nothing but their very unconventional meeting to go on, and he was intrigued.

"For someone who does not like to dance, you dance very well," she remarked as they swayed together to the soft music.

"I just...find it difficult to pretend as though I am enjoying myself when I am not," he admitted, "Much of the time, dancing with perfect strangers tends to be unpleasant and...uncomfortable."

Ana responded with an amused smile as their gazes met, "Well, I do hope that this is one of the more pleasant times."

Legolas returned her smile and Ana thought it seemed to light up his face – or at least what she could see of it, "I can assure you that it is, regardless of the strange way in which it came about."

He looked down at her and Ana allowed her gaze to drift over what she could see of his face, noticing that his eyes had a gentleness and a kindness about them. His lips were full and soft, yet all at once, there was something strong and masculine about his features. She wondered who he was but quickly quashed any urge to ask further questions; knowing that this would probably be the first and the last time they would ever meet. She was also reluctant to reveal that she was the princess for most became rather intimidated when they found out that they were in the presence of a member of the royal family. It was just something she would rather avoid at the moment, especially since she was quite enjoying the company of her dance partner.

The floor was crowded as the room teemed with dancing guests all around them and Legolas became acutely aware of how close they'd gotten, without even realizing it. This was far closer than decorum would allow, however, the lack of proper space amid the sea of other elves did not permit anymore distance between them.

"I am surprised that we have room to dance at all," Ana remarked, her cheeks blushing as she came to the same realization as he did.

"It seems that every bit of space is quickly becoming a rare commodity," Legolas quipped, "We may have to fight someone off very soon if we wish to remain here."

This response elicited a rather amused smile from Ana. "I think we can take them."

They continued to dance, laughing together at various little observances about the festivities and the aggression of some of the other dancers. By the time the song came to an end, both of their faces were flushed beneath their masks as the air in the banquet hall had become very close, and Legolas gently released her from his hold.

"Thank you again for your help," Ana said, dropping into a curtsey and Legolas inclined his head politely.

"It was no trouble at all. I rather enjoyed myself," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"As did I."

Before Legolas could ask her if perhaps she might like to dance with him again, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her.

"May I cut in, sister?" asked Thalion, his gaze moving from Ana and finally coming to a rest on her mysterious dance partner.

"Of course," Legolas said after a few moments, "I imagine my friend will be searching for me and I should probably find him before he thinks I've left the party."

Thalion nodded his appreciation and moved in to take his place.

"Good night," Legolas said softly before leaving brother and sister to their dance and resisting the urge to look back at her again.

"Good night," Ana replied with a small wave as she watched him disappear beyond the sea of guests.

"Who was that?" Thalion asked suspiciously when she turned back to him.

"I don't know," she said honestly as they began to dance, "I never asked his name. He was...saving me from the clutches of mother and father."

Thalion smiled sympathetically, "Ah so they got you as well. It's only going to get worse when you reach Lindon, I'm afraid. The duties will be tenfold as you will be running your own household."

Ana smiled sadly, wishing not to think about it. "Soon there will be no telling how often we will see each other."

His hand reached under her chin to lift her gaze to his. "That is why I am here now. I am sorry about yesterday Ana, I know how little time we have left and I wanted to make it up to you in any way that I could."

In response, she stopped dancing and put her arms around her brother in a warm and loving embrace. "You achieved that just by being here with me right now. I'm going to miss you dearly when I leave."

Thalion kissed her forehead. "And I will miss you, my dearest Ana, more than you can possibly imagine."

**... ...**

Throughout the night and several dances later, Ana found that it was becoming difficult to breathe in the large, overcrowded hall and her skin was becoming hot beneath the mask. She curtseyed, bidding farewell to her final dance partner and they parted ways before her eyes glanced over to the other side of the room. After their dance, she'd seen the ellon from the garden standing there for much of the night with his friend, but now they were nowhere to be seen. Ana breathed a heavy sigh and thought that perhaps a breath of fresh air was in order to escape the closeness of the room.

Having quite made up her mind, she started off across the hall to reach the great balcony where she could get a view of the surrounding vineyards. Just as she reached the corridor, the princess felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ana, are you alright?" Silima asked. She noticed that the princess' skin was flushed and she suggested a drink of water.

The princess only smiled, "Actually, I think I might benefit from a bit of fresh air on the balcony," she said fanning herself as her eyes swept over the festivities around them, "It's warm in here and I fear the wine might be having an effect on me."

"Well I am not surprised with the number of glasses you've had since the beginning of the evening."

Ana smirked, her hazel eyes sparkling mischievously behind her silver mask, before she started back down the hallway "I will be back," she called to Silima over the festivities before mouthing 'don't tell father.' After all, it was unbecoming for the princess to leave her own party, even for a moment. King Aradan would not be pleased, but he was so engrossed in conversation that slipping out for a moment of fresh air could hardly hurt.

Silima shook her head in amusement as she watched the princess' silhouette disappear down the dimly lit corridor before she turned back to enjoy the music of the party and attempt to keep her mind from wandering to thoughts of Thalion.

The cool air on her skin was a relief to Ana as she continued to venture away from the ballroom. She inhaled greedily and sighed as she enjoyed the endless room she had to move around, a stark contrast from the party where everyone was packed together like barrels of wine. The only thing that continued to bother her was the mask; her skin was uncomfortably moist beneath it and she longed to feel the coolness of the air on her face.

_'Just for a moment,' _she thought to herself as she gently pulled at the silk ribbon ties. As soon as the mask came off her face, she felt invigorated as warm skin met cold air and the moistness on her cheeks began to dry off. As beautiful as they were, these masks certainly did not make breathing easy.

Ana leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy a few moments of quiet before she ventured out to the balcony. It was not long before she was in her own little world, thinking about what the kingdom of Lindon held for her and wondering if she was going to be happy living in the shadows of the snowy Ered Luin. She and Thalion had heard tales of the Grey Havens from their mother when they were growing up and Ana was intrigued to find out that her Avari ancestors had never taken the journey to Valinor when the Valar beckoned all elves in Arda.

She smiled at the memory of her father comforting her because she was afraid that they would be left behind when the other elves sailed. Much to her relief, he told her that because most elves in Dorwinion now had silvan heritage as well, they would someday hear the call to return home.

Despite herself, Ana's mind soon drifted back to the ellon in the silver robes. She was slightly disappointed that she hadn't gotten the chance to find him and thank him once again for what he'd done for her that night. But what truly saddened her was that Thalion was right; her life in Lindon was going to be more demanding than her life in Dorwinion and there weren't going to be any kind ellyn willing to save her with a dance.

**... ...**

Legolas was sitting at one of the wooden tables with Veryan when he saw the elleth with the silver gown disappearing into the hallway. Veryan was contemplating what the secret of the Dorwinion vintners could be when the prince stopped him mid-sentence.

"Is everything alright?"

Legolas nodded absentmindedly, his gaze lingering over the door through which the elleth had disappeared. For reasons unknown to even himself, he stood from his chair and stepped away from the table, earning him a rather puzzled look from Veryan.

"The air is rather close in here isn't it?" Legolas asked, trying to come up with an excuse to leave the banquet hall, "I think I might step outside for a few moments."

"I will be here with the wine," Veryan said gesturing to his full glass, though he was slightly perplexed as to what had gotten into his friend.

Legolas nodded and started off in the direction of the corridor, uncertain why he felt the sudden wish to speak with her again. Perhaps he was simply yearning to speak to someone other than Veryan and she was the closest he had come to a friend in this strange realm.

As he made his way down the corridor, the prince caught sight of the train of her silver dress around the corner, but as he got closer he saw something he did not expect. Her face was no longer hidden by the silver mask, which she now kept in her hands, and he instantly recognized her features, remembering the long chestnut hair that she'd pushed out of her face as she read a book beneath the branches of a great apple tree. His mysterious elleth was none other than the princess of Dorwinion.

Legolas stood there uncertain what to think or what to say as she leaned against the wall, completely oblivious to his presence. Part of him was ready to simply walk away, pretend he had never followed her out, but the other part of him was curious. Soon it was too late to make a quiet exit for Ana had begun to feel as though she were being watched and opened her eyes. She gasped as she saw him standing there, on the other side of the hallway, his mouth slightly agape with uncertainty. Ana looked down at the mask in her hands and surmised that he knew very well who she was. She didn't have to see through his mask to know that the surprise was written all over his face.

They continued to stare at one another for several moments, neither quite knowing what to say as the silence hung thickly in the air. Finally it was Legolas who spoke, his soft voice cutting through the stillness.

"I... did not realize that I was dancing with the princess."

It all made sense to him now; why she'd been forced to spend the majority of the evening meeting the prominent subjects of the realm – her father's subjects – and why she'd yearned for but a moment to herself. He'd often felt the same way at his father's court.

The princess continued to regard him and he realized that he was still wearing his disguise. Legolas hesitated but soon lifted his hands to pull apart the silk ties of the mask and slowly removed it from his face. He had seen her, so now it was only fair that he did the same.

A look of recognition and then a slow smile crossed her face. "I knew it was you," she whispered, as she looked into his deep blue eyes, "You were in the gardens that day with the guard."

Legolas nodded, "And you were reading a rather interesting book if I can recall the amused smile that you wore."

Ana smirked as she pushed herself off the wall and began to approach him slowly, her eyes trailing over his soft, masculine features. "Aren't we observant? I was reading about the conquests of Eorl the Young. I believe the particular scene was at a banquet where the king was said to have fallen off his chair after consuming too much wine."

"Indeed that does sound rather amusing."

"Yes and do you know what else I find amusing?"

Legolas furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "I am afraid I am at a loss, your highness."

"The rumours that you apprehended a thief in the market place single-handedly after following him from the rooftops," Ana said, "That was you, was it not?"

The prince's cheeks suddenly turned pink and he groaned, "You heard about that as well?"

Ana nodded, her smile betraying her amusement, "So it is true then?"

"Yes...it was, though I assure you, I wish I had not drawn such attention to myself."

"I think what you did was incredible," she said with wonder in her voice. If everything she had heard about the market place arrest was true, then he certainly was a force to be reckoned with, "It seems you have been playing the hero around these parts over the last few days. First in the market place and then tonight...with me."

"I am no hero," Legolas insisted. Now he almost wished he could put the mask back on, "I did what I did because it was the right thing to do."

"That sounds like a hero to me," Ana said with a small smile and the blush extended to the tips of Legolas' ears. "It appears you are already familiar with who I am, but now that we've done away with our masks...I wondered if I might inquire as to the name of my very modest dance partner?"

Legolas suddenly felt his throat tightening. He could not very well tell her that he was the prince of a kingdom that was on less than amicable terms with hers, he feared he would be sent back to face the wrath of his father and the last thing he wanted was for his adventure to be cut short. Not after all that he and Veryan had been through to get this far. Yet...he felt badly about lying to her, especially since she had treated him with nothing but kindness all night.

"Faeron," he said finally with a slight tinge of hesitation in his voice that he hoped the princess would not pick up, "I hail from Imladris, where my father is a smith to the Lord Elrond."

"The last homely house, how fascinating," Ana said to herself, her eyes lighting up in excitement, "Well, Faeron of Imladris, it is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance."

Legolas felt relief coursing through him as it appeared that she had bought his story and when she curtseyed, he reciprocated with a small incline of his head, "The pleasure is mine, princess."

"Please call me Anariel..." she said, shaking her head at his use of her formal title, "Or Ana, if you prefer. Most call me Ana."

He had met many princesses and high stationed ellith before, but Legolas couldn't place what it was about this one that intrigued him so much. What was the most puzzling of all was that he was able to speak to her without tripping over his words, though he was fairly certain the tips of his ears were still tinged pink.

"I was just on my way to the balcony for some air," Ana said after a few moments of silence, "Would you care to join me?"

He looked back towards the hall where he was certain Veryan was waiting for him. The wise thing to do was to politely decline and remove himself from a situation that could potentially ruin everything, but despite his better judgement, he found himself nodding. After all, it was only for a moment, he reasoned against the incessant nagging of his rational mind.

"I would."

She smiled, motioning for him to follow, and so it was that Faeron, the pretended elf of Imladris, allowed the princess of Dorwinion to escort him through the long corridors of her father's halls.

When they finally reached the balcony, Legolas was rendered speechless by the vision of rolling hills and vineyards as far as the eye could see. Everything appeared so tranquil by the light of the stars and further into the distance, the depths of the sea of Rhun were alight with the reflection of the moon. The halls of father were nothing like this.

Ana's amused smile as she walked passed him, alerted Legolas to the rather silly expression he wore as he attempted to take it all in. He didn't want her to think he was some sheltered ellon, especially if he was maintaining that he had come from Imladris. But the unfortunate fact was that he had been sheltered from the world most of his life and he had only ever come close to such a sight when he snuck out of the caves to see the stars. Even then, the sights that had taken his breath away in Mirkwood only paled in comparison to this.

Legolas watched as Ana made her way to the stone railing of the balcony and looked out into the distance, her eyes closing contentedly as the gentle night breeze caressed her face and relieved her of the discomfort of the banquet hall. Hesitantly, he approached, taking his place next to her.

"What do the halls of Lord Elrond look like? I've heard they are beautiful beyond comparison," she said finally, catching Legolas off-guard. She stared up at him with expectant eyes and he felt the heat rushing to his face.

What was he supposed to answer to such a question? He had never actually been to Imladris so anything he told her was going to be an outright lie, but it was his own fault that he was in such a predicament to begin with.

"Well..." he began, thinking back to everything he'd read in his books at home, "Imladris lies nestled at the edge of a gorge of the River Bruínen, with an extensive array of waterfalls that flow beneath the white houses. The largest of the houses is the great hall where the Lord Elrond and his children dwell but the most beautiful is the Hall of Fire, with a flame that burns all year round, and carven pillars of white on all sides of the hearth. Most days it is empty for it is used only for special occasions..."

He trailed off when he realized that Ana's eyes were wide with interest and it took a few moments to realize that he'd managed to pull off a rather believable description of the the last homely house. Perhaps he could keep this up afterall, but all that confidence was shattered when suddenly the princess frowned and suddenly panic seized him. Had he said something wrong?

"I thought that the elves of Imladris were of the Noldor. I was under the impression that they were all dark-haired," she said examining him. Legolas groaned inwardly and his heart pounded as he realized that he'd forgotten that Sindar elves were rather uncommon in those parts.

He had to improvise quickly.

"The truth is..." he stammered, "I am not fully of Noldor ancestry...I am partly Sindar through my mother and I've been told that I look a mirror image of her."

It wasn't a complete lie... after all, he was often told that he looked just like her. The part about the mixed heritage however...

"You fascinate me more and more, Master Faeron," Ana said with a small smile and he allowed himself to relax as he dodged yet another hurdle.

"Your mother must be very beautiful," she added after a few moments, studying him. He was strikingly handsome, something that hadn't been lost on her the moment he'd taken off his mask, though she had suspected as much when they had danced together. Now that she really got the chance to observe him, she realized that he had very endearing dimples when he smiled and that although he was beautiful, there was also a raw masculinity to his features that were accentuated by a strong jawline.

"She was," Legolas replied sadly, looking down at his feet, "She passed away when I was an elfling. Her company was attacked by orcs in the forest."

Concern, and regret, flashed across Ana's face as she watched him slightly regress. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to stir such painful memories."

The prince slowly shook his head and forced a small smile. "It's alright. How could you have known?"

A thought came to him in that moment as he watched her in silence. She was being sent away to marry an ellon she'd never met before and the party tonight was to celebrate that betrothal. Legolas would have been outraged if his father had subjected him to such a thing and yet Ana did not seem vexed at all. In fact, she seemed to be rather...accepting of the entire ordeal.

"Can I ask you something?"

"After all that you've done for me tonight, of course," she said, the heaviness of the previous moment falling away as seamlessly as it arrived.

"Does it not trouble you to be given away in marriage to a lord you've never met in such a distant land?"

This was a question that Ana had mulled over since the moment her father had announced that she was to be married to the son of the Shipwright at the Grey Havens. There were so many emotions that coursed through her whenever her mind drifted to the new life she was about to begin and the one was going to have to leave behind. But who was she to question the Valar and the mysterious ways in which they worked? Perhaps the Lord of Lindon would turn out to be her match.

She brushed a stray lock from her face and breathed a small sigh. Legolas immediately felt guilty for asking such a question but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"I suppose I am slightly apprehensive to living among the Noldor in the West, and leaving behind all I've ever known, but I've been told that the son of Círdan is kind," she said finally, settling on a less complicated answer, "My father wishes to strengthen the relations between Dorwinion and the other elven kingdoms so that my brother Thalion will be better placed when he inherits the throne. I see this as an adventure and hopefully with time, I will find my place among the elves of Lindon."

Legolas nodded his understanding and they stayed up on the balcony for quite some time that night, speaking of a great manner of things. It both startled and amazed Legolas how comfortable he felt despite the fact that he was pretending to be someone he was not. It seemed that Ana's smile and laughter were contagious as both seemed to transfer naturally to him. Before long, they were both leaning leisurely against the railing of the balcony without a care in the world for anything else.

And the bitter irony of it all was that even as he was lying about his identity, for once Legolas felt like he could just be Legolas. No circlet, no title, no responsibilities.

It was only when she heard the distant voice of Silima that Ana realized she'd lost track of the time. What was meant to be a short break for air had turned into a full-blown conversation and when her lady in waiting finally found them on the balcony, she arched an eyebrow to see the princess acting so informally with a mysterious ellon.

"Ana, I've been looking everywhere for you," she reproached, "I thought you were only going out for a quick breath of fresh air. Now your father has noticed your absence."

"Forgive me, Silima," Ana replied, her cheeks turning scarlet in her embarrassment, "We lost track of the time."

Silima cast a suspicious glance in Legolas' direction and soon he was turning very, very pink, "Who is your friend?"

"This is Master Faeron of Imladris," the princess replied, shooting an apologetic look at her companion who appeared to be truly suffering under the scrutinizing gaze of her lady in waiting, "He was just telling me of his homeland."

"And what business does an elf of Imladris have in Dorwinion?"

"My father is a smith in the house of Lord Elrond, he sent me to collect some precious metals for him. One of his clients wished for something more...exotic," He was certainly getting better at thinking on his feet. After tonight he was going to be a master, "My companion and I are going to be accompanying the procession to Lindon as we have other business to attend to there before returning home."

This bit of news surprised the princess, but she found that she was not unhappy that Faeron was going to be making the journey with them. Although Silima was her best friend, it was going to be nice to have someone else to speak with on those long riding days, and perhaps his friend would also be able to tell her of Imladris.

"It was very nice to make your acquaintance, Master Faeron, but unfortunately I must borrow the princess, the king wishes to see her in his study," Silima said, her face softening, "He will have the palace guards looking soon if I do not deliver her."

"I understand," he said, thinking of exactly how true that statement rang. He understood completely.

Ana smiled and bid him good night but as she turned to walk back into the hall, an inexplicable force inside him emboldened Legolas to say one last thing.

"I hope we will meet again soon."

He groaned inwardly at how silly he sounded, on the journey to Lindon they would certainly be seeing one another, but the princess smiled in response.

"I am certain that we will. You may very well have to break my fall again."

Legolas returned her smile, but this earned her a rather odd look from Silima to which Ana whispered that she would explain later. With one last glance back at the golden-haired elf from Imladris, she made her way back towards her father's study, leaving behind a Legolas who was more than a little muddled by the multitude of feelings floating around inside him.

He stayed out on the balcony staring out at the stars and wondering what these next few months would hold for him as they made the journey towards the kingdom of Lindon. He thought of Ana and how surprisingly pleased he was that he'd enjoyed their conversation so much. Soon, he heard the clearing of a throat and turned back to see Veryan leaning against the balcony entrance with his arms crossed.

"There you are," he said, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Sorry," replied Legolas, "I came out for some air and got distracted by the stars."

Veryan shook his head in amusement and bade his friend rejoin the festivities. There was still plenty of wine for consumption and that was one challenge he did not wish to take on alone. As they walked together towards the banquet hall where the sounds of lively merrymaking signalled that the party was still far from over, the only thing on the prince's mind was how strange a night this had been, but wonderfully strange at that, and far better than he had expected.

**... ...**

**A/N:** So there you have it! A long, 20 page chapter and the first meeting between Legolas and the princess of Dorwinion. In the next chapter they hit the road towards Lindon! :)

I would really appreciate some feedback, so please review and let me know how I'm doing with this :)

Some other Legolas/OC fanfics I definitely recommend are **KD Skywalker**'s **Reflections** series, especially **Reflections Remixed** and **Raider-K**'s **Wanderlust**_. _

**annafan **also writes a wonderful Eowyn/Faramir fic called **Flower of Ice and Steel**.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you to all who favourited, followed and reviewed the last chapter! Your feedback is what keeps me writing! BIG thanks to **HollyHobbit13, Applejax XD, heroherondaletotheresuce, theviolinxx, KD Skywalker, Hyacinthia Phoenix, LegolasGreenleafLove** and **AdalineXC** for reviewing!

Also, thank you so much to **KD Skywalker **for her invaluable help on this chapter.

Anyway, enough of my chit-chat, enjoy the chapter! I'm looking forward to your feedback afterwards :)

**A Road Less Traveled: Chapter 4**

Ana sighed as she took one last look at the place where she'd spent her entire life, wanting to take in every detail of the white palace walls of her childhood while she still could. Instead of the dresses she often wore, the princess was clad in clothing suited for long hours of riding and her long hair was braided down her back for convenience. The departure day had finally arrived and in a few short moments, the procession would ride out to take her to her new home in Lindon.

Throughout the palace courtyard, the guards were readying their mounts for the journey and from afar Ana caught sight of Faeron and his friend Veryan as they made certain that their packs were safely strapped in. She hadn't spoken to him since the ball; there had simply been no opportunity to do so as she readied herself for a new life in the West. Faeron, it seemed, had also been very busy fulfilling a multitude of pre-departure tasks given to him by the Captain of the Dorwinion guard, and Ana hoped that as the procession journeyed they might be given opportunities to speak again.

"So it seems that the day we have all dreaded for weeks has finally come," Thalion's saddened voice pulled Ana from her reverie and she threw her arms around him. The crown prince held his younger sister to him and embraced her fiercely.

"I will miss you every day," came her muffled reply as she buried her face in his shoulder, fighting the small tears that threatened to escape her, "Come visit me."

"I will, as soon as I am able," Thalion reassured as he stroked her hair, "You are far stronger than you think Ana and you will bear this with a grace and courage to make us all proud. I love you, little sister."

"I love you too," Ana swallowed the lump in her throat as she pulled away. She certainly did not see what Thalion saw in her, but she hoped that he was right and that she would find her courage on this life-changing journey. Her older brother had always been there to protect her, but now she was going to have to learn to protect herself.

"We will certainly have to visit," said Cuilwen, coming up beside her husband and lacing his fingers with hers, "Your niece or nephew will be anxious to meet their aunt."

She placed their joined hands over her pregnant middle and Silima, who was making sure that they hadn't forgotten to pack anything in the baggage train, stiffened ever so slightly. She was now used to the dull aching of her heart whenever she saw Thalion and his wife together, but even though she wanted the best for him, she still wished that he had chosen her. Perhaps the distance afforded to her by her new life in Lindon would be her saving grace and she could finally learn to be happy without him.

Soon, the preparations for departure were complete and it was not long before king Aradan and his queen arrived to bid farewell to their only daughter. As they whispered words of love and encouragement, they each took her in their arms and held her close. At nearly two thousand years old, she was leaving them and it was a heartbreaking notion even though they knew that this match was for the good of the kingdom.

"You will be happy, I am certain of it," said the king as he kissed Ana's forehead, "I am proud of you, my daughter."

Ana replied with a soft kiss to her father's cheek before hugging her mother one last time.

As he mounted his coal black stallion at the front of the procession, Legolas watched the scene with mixed emotions. He was enlivened by the thought that their adventure was finally beginning, at the thought of seeing distant lands with his own eyes when he could only dream of such sights. But even so, he was sorrowful for Ana and the great loss of her home and family – unlike him, she did not yearn to leave and he wished that there was something he could say to give her comfort.

Beside him, Veryan climbed up onto his horse and adjusted his bow and quiver.

"So begins the greatest adventure of our lives," he said, slightly puzzled as to why Legolas kept casting a glance towards the princess.

The prince nodded absentmindedly as his mind wandered. This was the day they had unknowingly been waiting for their whole lives, the day that would change everything. Legolas wondered if he would even feel at home in his father's halls when their journey ended. Would he even want to go back after everything he will have seen and experienced?

"When we return," he replied, "I'll wager that we will not be the same."

"I'll wager that you're right," said Veryan and he thought of Tauriel. When he returned, he would tell her how he really felt about her and hope that she would allow him to court her the way he longed to.

When the Captain was satisfied that all was ready for departure, Ana and Silima mounted their white mares in the middle of the procession. Several guards at the front sounded the horns to signal the beginning of the journey and they began to ride out of the courtyard. Outside the palace gates stood a large gathering of elves on either side of the road who had come from all over the realm to see their princess off.

Amid the cheers and the white flower petals being tossed into the air by various onlookers, Ana moved her gaze back towards the palace where her family stood in the courtyard, their silhouettes slowly disappearing as she rode further and further away.

"Are you alright Ana?" asked Silima, taking the princess' hand in hers for a comforting squeeze.

After a few moments, she shook her head and willed herself to find the courage nestled deep inside of her. A small smile played on Ana's lips.

"I will be. We have a new home now."

She would bear this with grace and bravery, just like Thalion said.

**... ...**

Two weeks passed on the road as the company traveled through the vast and empty land of green hills; the earth was slightly dryer here with no sign of rivers or forests since they had left the lush valleys of Dorwinion. Normally such a journey could be achieved in a matter of days but for the safety of the princess and because their baggage train would not permit more speed, they were riding at a snail's pace.

On most days they began riding at dawn and by dusk the camp was made for the night. Legolas and Veryan shared a tent, which they put up near some of the guards. At first the others had regarded these newcomers with suspicion, they could not fathom why there should be two foreigners among their company, but gradually that distrust faded with the sharing of stories around the campfire and tales – although fabricated ones – of their home in Imladris.

Occasionally, the Captain would place them on watch of the camp at night and it was at those moments that Legolas reflected on what a strange turn his life had taken. He wondered if Thranduil was scouring the land for his missing son. Deep down in the recesses of his heart, he felt guilty for betraying his father's trust and he often thought of their final conversation in the king's study. Thranduil had been proud of him then, but he pondered now on how different their relationship would be when he returned home. Would his father still be proud to have him for a son?

Every doubt he'd had about leaving home was tenfold now that their journey had begun but Veryan always reassured him that while their lives would be different when they returned to Mirkwood, it would be for the best. The prince always hoped that he was right.

On his nightly patrols of camp, Legolas also allowed his mind to drift to Ana. They hadn't spoken since the ball and for weeks on the road he had only ever seen her from afar, when he looked back to the middle of the procession as they rode or when she and Silima were helping to set up their shared tent for the night.

It was on one such night, after a particularly long day of riding, that Ana lay awake while her lady in waiting slept soundly on the bed beside hers. This was not the first of her sleepless nights as thought after thought invaded her mind to the point where sinking into the land of dreams was near impossible. When they were riding and Silima was awake to converse with her, it was rather easy to keep from thinking of home, but when everything came to a halt at dusk, she was left alone to reflect on what her new life might hold for her and nothing to quell the host of emotions that raced through her.

Ana sighed as she stared up at the ceiling of her tent, tossing and turning as she wondered about her betrothed. Was he as kind as she was told? Would he be pleased with what he saw when her procession arrived? Would he make her happy?

The princess decided that rest would not come to her this night and slowly slid out from under the furs, being careful not to wake Silima. Ana slowly shook her head, as though to rid it of all unwanted thoughts that continued to plague her, and walked over to her leather pack to retrieve a warm cloak to wear over her nightgown. As she quietly pushed open the flaps of the tent and began to wander about the camp, she listened to the stillness of the night and enjoyed the gentle caress of the soft breeze across her face.

Ana wandered aimlessly, weaving her way through tents. All around the camp, everything was dark save for the stars that lit up the night sky like thousands of sparkling lanterns. Somehow the mere sight of them was enough to bring peace to her heart and make her forget her troubles for a few moments.

When she finally managed to tear her eyes from the heavens, the princess realized that she had walked much further than she had intended, and she caught sight of the warm, glowing light of a campfire beyond a small circle of tents as the smell of burning wood soon filled her nostrils.

Legolas, who was keeping watch over the camp that night, lifted his head at the sound of approaching footsteps and was surprised to see the princess emerging from the shadows. The fire illuminated her features with every small step forward and it seemed to him that she was just as stunned by his presence.

"Is everything alright?" concern flashed across Legolas' face as he noticed the flicker of sadness in her eyes.

"I could not sleep," Ana admitted, biting her lip. With a small incline of his head, he motioned for her to take the spot next to him and she timidly sat on the edge of the log. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed her eyelids to paint vivid yellow and orange hues as the heat of the flames washed over her face.

"Do you miss your home, Faeron?" she asked. Legolas was thankful that she'd kept her eyes closed and was unable to notice his slight flinching at her use of his false name.

Did he miss his home? Certainly he did, at times, but that was because the familiarity of his father's halls was safe compared to what awaited him in the world. At one point in his life, safe would have been enough for the prince to aspire to, but not anymore.

"I do sometimes," He pushed a fallen lock of hair from his face and stared down at his boots, "But I have been told that pushing the boundaries of one's comfort to experience all that this world has to offer us is the only way to truly be alive."

Ana's cheeks were now a slight rosy colour from the heat of the campfire and she looked up at him in a doe-eyed gaze. "Do you truly believe that?"

It was something that Veryan had told him early on in their journey, and though at first he had been skeptical, Legolas was starting to believe in the promise of those words. They now proved their magic as a small smile appeared on the corners of her lips.

"I do, Ana."

She didn't know what it was about the way he said her name, but his soft, comforting voice warmed her heart in all those places that were difficult to reach.

Legolas returned her smile, pleased to see that her previous sadness had melted away and secretly delighted that he had been the one to lift her spirits.

"I have something to show you," he said.

Ana playfully arched her eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

The prince rose to his feet and held his hand out to her. "Do you trust me?"

"I hardly know you," she replied, biting her lip to hide an unbidden smile.

A slight grin appeared across Legolas' face as he continued to hold his hand out to her. Within moments, she slid her palm into his and allowed him to draw her away from the fire towards a small gathering of tall trees on the outskirts of the camp.

"At my home I often climb the trees so that I can watch the stars," he explained when she gave him a puzzled look, "Every qualm in the world appears so insignificant under a clear, night sky."

They stood under the shadow of an ancient oak whose branches seemed to reach forever into the heavens and the only thing that Ana could think of was that she was not a climber.

"I'm afraid I haven't had much practice," she hesitated only to be met with another one of Legolas' reassuring smiles.

"I won't let you fall."

It was a promise and Ana knew that he meant to keep it. Without another word, she watched as he expertly climbed up to the lower branches of the tree before holding out his hand to pull her up. They slowly scaled the tree, Legolas stopping every once in a while to make certain that Ana was alright, until finally they came to a sturdy branch near the top.

Legolas perched himself and leaned his back against the tree trunk while Ana made herself as comfortable as she could while trying not to look down at the ground below them. It was a very long way down and just the thought of such a fall made her shiver.

"There they are," said the prince as he looked up at the night sky and all thoughts of falling vacated Ana's mind as she beheld the beauty of millions of white lights.

"How is it that they are so much more beautiful from up here?"

"I am not certain. Perhaps it is that we are removed from the rest of the world and can better appreciate them nestled safely in the branches of the trees," mused Legolas.

"Perhaps in my new home I will find a tree in which to watch the stars."

The prince brought his gaze back to her soft, hazel eyes. "It is going to be alright. I promise."

Ana gave him a small smile in response, "Are you always so certain of everything?"

Legolas shook his head. He was not certain of very much, especially where his own life was concerned. Once they stood in the shadows of the Blue Mountains, the pieces of his life were going to be scattered to the wind and he was going to have to face the consequences that awaited him when he returned home. He did not know what fate held in store for him and Veryan when this was over, but he was certain that with time, Ana would find her place among the elves of Lindon and before long she would cease to long for home.

"I am afraid there are many things I am uncertain of," he admitted finally, "Especially when it comes to my own father. We have a rather...difficult relationship."

"Why is that?"

"He places duty before all else, including his son. Since the death of my mother he has immersed himself in grooming me to take over the...family business when he steps down. I love him dearly but I wish he could see that there is more to this life than duty and obligation. I wish that he would simply be my father, rather than my -"

He'd nearly said 'king' but Legolas managed to stop himself just in time, settling on a different, more ambiguous choice of words so as not to blow his cover, "...rather than constantly holding me up to an impossible set of standards."

Ana's gaze softened as she realized they had broached a rather sensitive subject. In truth she was reminded of Thalion's relationship with their father. Ever since her brother had begun learning about the administration of the kingdom, their father had nearly ceased being anything but the king to Thalion. The emphasis was on grooming him to rule the kingdom one day, not on strengthening the bond between father and son.

Ana shifted her position, instinctively inching closer to her companion as she tried to avoid the edge of the branch they were sitting on. She could feel the soft warmth of his body as they now sat side by side and she slowly peeked down the length of the trunk, examining with apprehension the distance from where they were perched to the ground below.

"I'm sorry," she said, placing her hand over his without thinking. She wanted to find some way to comfort him, to convey to him that he was not alone.

A rather surprised Legolas looked down at their joined hands before meeting her gaze and Ana was thankful for the darkness of the night as it concealed the very pronounced pink of her cheeks.

"My own father can be difficult at times," Ana continued, averting her gaze and quickly pulling her hand away. "My brother is next in line to rule and father reminds him of this every moment of every day. Duty to the kingdom will always come before all else, even his children, which I suspect is also why he sought an alliance with Lindon to begin with."

"Why did he?"

"The Blue Mountains are rich in silver and Círdan the Shipwright controls the resources of the region," she explained, "You see, despite the front my father likes to put up for the rest of the world, Dorwinion is suffering since the breakdown of trade relations with Mirkwood. The exports to the woodland realm were our greatest source of income but now that my father and King Thranduil are less than amicable with one another, we have to look for trading partnerships elsewhere."

"And he is marrying you off to cement that partnership with Lindon," Legolas interjected with a small, sympathetic shake of his head.

What the princess said next utterly surprised Legolas so that if he were not so used to climbing trees, he might very well have fallen from the branch.

"Yes, well it is hardly surprising for he has previously attempted something of the like. He once tried to arrange my marriage to the woodland king's son but the negotiations were unsuccessful."

"What?" He choked out the word before he could stop himself and Ana gave him an odd look.

"My father wished for me to marry the woodland prince and King Thranduil apparently was not opposed to the idea, but then they had the silly falling out over wine and they each vowed not to have anything to do with one another, much less consent to becoming family."

Legolas was at a loss for words as Ana continued to speak. A flood of emotions raced through him but the most pronounced of them all was resentment. That the only reason he hadn't been forced into an arranged marriage was due to the injured prides of two stubborn kings was more than mildly disturbing, then there was also the fact that his father had told him nothing of these negotiations. Not so much as a word in passing! Did he not deserve to have a say in his future? Apparently the king did not think so.

Even though he was angry with his father for even entertaining the idea of an arranged marriage for him, the prince swept his gaze over the elleth beside him, wondering deep in his heart how different his life would have been if she had become his wife. Outwardly, Legolas hid his feelings with ease, however the turmoil inside him was making it difficult for him to think of anything intelligent to say.

"A dispute over wine does indeed sound silly," he recovered, averting his gaze so that she could not see how affected he was by such a revelation. This would only lead him down a path that he was reluctant to tread with questions that he simply could not answer without giving himself away.

"I certainly believe it does," Ana agreed with a small smile, "Have you ever visited the forest of Mirkwood?"

"I have," Legolas said cautiously, "The Lord Elrond sends delegations to the woodland realm at times."

The princess looked up at him with curiosity, "Then you must have met the king and his son."

"Only briefly-"

"I've heard much on the subject of prince Legolas," Ana said, cutting him off before he could stir the conversation away from his homeland, "I always wondered if any of it was true."

Despite the corner he could feel himself backing into, the prince raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "What have you heard?"

Ana blushed slightly, running her hands through locks of her hair, "I've heard that he is quite...beautiful."

She did not know why it embarrassed her to reveal such a thing but the smirk that suddenly appeared across her companion's face did nothing to lessen the scarlet of her cheeks.

"and..." she continued, "I've also heard that he is a fierce warrior, his marksmanship unrivalled throughout the realm. I can only imagine that he has had his share of adventures."

"He had never left Mirkwood, actually, until recently" the prince said after a few moments, and the words seemed to deliver a blow to his heart. "His father always forbade it and he...obeyed without question. He is forever prisoner behind the walls of the king..."

Legolas sighed, leaning his head against the trunk of the tree. Ana certainly painted a desirable picture, but what would she say if she found out that the ellon she spoke of was not like the one in the tales she'd heard?

As he spoke, he could hear Veryan's words echoing through him and telling him that he was too cautious, that he never took chances. He'd denied it from the moment they snuck out of the caves, insisting that running off without his father's permission was proof that he was perfectly capable of taking chances – even though he'd needed very much convincing. But now the more he heard himself describing 'Prince Legolas', the more he realized that Veryan was right all along and this was not who he wanted to be anymore.

He turned his gaze to Ana, his blue eyes meeting flecks of soft hazel and she smiled sweetly at him.

"It sounds as though prince Legolas might benefit from pushing the limits of his comfort," she said softly.

"I think you are right," a small smile made its way across his lips and as they continued to watch the stars, nestled in the branches of the great oak, silently Legolas vowed to begin taking his own advice.

When the first signs of daybreak began to lighten the sky and the stars slowly faded, the prince escorted Ana back to her tent in the centre of the camp. The land was not yet bathing in the golden light of dawn but it was only a matter of time before the company set off on another full day's ride. As they walked together, Legolas observed her from the corner of his eye. The sorrowful look in her eyes when she found him earlier that night was replaced with something else entirely. She seemed at peace now and for that his heart was glad.

**... ...**

Just after sunrise, the Captain gave orders to begin dismantling the camp as he hoped to cover a lot of ground before sunset. After spending much of the morning searching frantically for Legolas, who had missed breakfast, Veryan was reluctantly helping some of the guards secure the baggage train. He had heard some rather disturbing news among them that the procession was going to take the road through the south of Mirkwood to avoid losing time by traveling around the forest. Not only was the forest dangerous after coming under the shadow of Dol Guldur, with a manner of evil creatures claiming the dark woods as their home, but taking the road through Mirkwood also meant that there was a chance that they might be discovered, for surely the king had his guard scouring beyond the elven borders for his missing son.

This was going to be a problem and Veryan had wanted to find Legolas to warn him of what he'd heard that morning over breakfast but his searching had been in vain. The baggage train was nearly secured when Legolas finally made an appearance amid the disassembling of tents and the putting out of fires as the company made ready to take the road.

"Where have you been?" Veryan asked in a slightly raised voice as he watched Legolas approach, "You were not at breakfast early this morning."

The prince shrugged, unable to keep the small smile from his lips and clearly in a world of his own as he walked right passed a rather annoyed Veryan, completely oblivious to the alarm in his friend's voice, and into their tent so that he could prepare for the journey.

While most of their belongings were now packed away, Legolas' weapons and armour remained next to his bed roll where he'd left them the night before. He quickly got dressed and strapped in his quiver before sharpening his knives and placing them in their sheath.

Veryan walked in rather hurriedly just as the prince was pulling his bracers over his forearms.

"We have to talk."

Legolas looked up and furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong?" He was puzzled as to why Veryan wore such a grave expression on his face, normally _he _was the one who worried and the fact that now their roles seemed to have reversed was slightly alarming to him.

"The Captain is taking the procession through the South of Mirkwood. I overheard the guards at breakfast this morning."

"Are you certain?" The prince quickly stood up as a shadow crossed his face, and his heart accelerated. He was deeply troubled by such news and now the good mood he was in from a night of watching stars simply was no more.

Veryan nodded and began to pace the floor of their tent, deeply disturbed by the idea of having to cross through the darkness of the forest. "They are taking the East Bight to avoid losing several days by traveling around the forest."

"But that will lead us close to Dol Guldur!" Legolas breathing came hard and fast now as he contemplated what this meant, "There are foul creatures that live within those woods, especially near the fortress. Our kin, under the rule of Oropher, were driven to the north of the forest by that very darkness which sickened and destroyed the greenwood as we knew it."

"This is why I was looking for you this morning." Veryan tightened the muscles in his jaw, "Where were you?"

The prince said nothing and the guard sighed in exasperation, "I do not know what has gotten into you, but I do know that you are keeping something from me, Legolas, and I do not like it."

Legolas pressed his lips into a thin line as he watched Veryan getting more impatient by the moment.

"I was speaking with the princess," he said finally after what seemed an eternity of silence, and he watched the look on Veryan's face go from frustration to puzzlement.

"Until the early hours of morn," he stated flatly to which the prince could do nothing but nod.

"We've spoken before, at the masked ball," he explained with a small sigh, "That is why I was gone so long when you found me on the balcony. Then last night, she could not sleep, she was homesick and I showed her the stars to lift her spirits..."

"You _do_ remember that she is betrothed, this procession is for her after all," reminded Veryan with an arch of his eyebrow.

Legolas scowled in response, "Truly you do not think that I would forget that. We speak together but these are nothing more than platonic conversations. We are friends."

"You must be careful around her. One wrong word could ruin everything and your princess might very well be the reason we get sent back."

"She is not _my _princess and her name is Ana." it was Legolas' turn now to pace the floor of the tent as he continued to shoot rather annoyed glances at his friend, "Now I think we have a more serious matter to attend to. The procession must not enter Mirkwood for I fear what we would encounter. The spiders grow bolder."

Veryan nodded, "We must speak with the Captain, convince him to take the way around, for the spiders may not be the only fearful creatures that we encounter. Your father will have surely increased the patrols of the forest guard since your disappearance and extended them beyond the borders of the kingdom."

Legolas groaned. He almost preferred an encounter with the spiders to one with his father after the stunt he'd pulled. The wrath of Thranduil was legendary across Arda and none wished to be on the receiving end. Aside from the risk of being recognized once they set foot in Mirkwood, Legolas and Veryan knew that the procession was not equipped to fend off the dangers of the forest.

The prince retrieved his bow on the other side of the tent and slung it over his back. Veryan knew instantly knew from the look on Legolas' face that it was time to go. They had to warn the Captain and try to convince him to change their course.

**... ...**

As the camp bustled with activity all around them, the Captain faced the wall of his tent as he listened to the concerns of the two foreign elves in his company, while a few of his guards stood outside the door.

"In that forest, there is an evil that does not sleep," Veryan said, "It will be far safer to go around the forest-"

"And far longer," interrupted the Captain as he turned to face them, "It is nearly sixty leagues to go around, but by traveling right through the East Blight we cut our time in half. Our task is to deliver the princess on time for her wedding to the son of the Shipwright."

"Is her safety not also a priority?" cried Legolas, clenching his fist in frustration, "I can promise you now that taking the path through that forest will be a grave error in judgement."

"The princess will be safe," the Captain said sternly, "I can promise that if the both of you continue to question my decision, it will be _your _gravest error. These are my best fighters and they are more than prepared to face what lies in those woods."

"I very much doubt that," the prince replied icily before showing himself out of the tent. He'd had enough of this foolishness and he was afraid that if he remained in the presence of the Captain, he might very well do something rash.

Veryan watched as the prince slipped behind the tent flap before turning his attention back to the Captain, who by this point was far from amused.

"What of the woodland king? He will not be pleased when he finds out that we are traveling through Mirkwood," he tried, hoping that this would dissuade the crossing of the forest, but the Captain simply shook his head.

"King Aradan has already arranged for safe passage through the woods. We will receive no trouble from Thranduil," he said, "My decision is final. We will pass through Mirwood."

Veryan could do nothing but nod his head and show himself out of the tent the way that Legolas had only moments earlier. As he exited the tent, the Silvan guard wondered why Thranduil would give safe passage through his lands to elves of Dorwinion. He and King Aradan hated one another and deep down, Veryan had a nagging feeling that Thranduil knew what fate awaited the procession. That there was some sort of nefarious incentive to his sudden...generosity.

He sighed as he went off to find Legolas. They were going through Mirkwood and there was nothing to be done about it.

**... ...**

Legolas and Veryan were quiet and solemn for three days as the company rode towards their homeland, a shift that had not gone unnoticed by Ana who realized that something was off since the morning her new friend had walked her back to her tent. On the third day, the procession reached the south-east border of the forest of Mirkwood, entering via the East Blight.

The trees stood tall and menacing on either side of them as they traveled through the darkness of the forest, while above them was a canopy of heavy foliage so impenetrable that not even the rays of the morning sun could filter through it.

After traveling for several hours along the old path, the forest appeared to swallow them whole in its darkness and the air was heavy and dense so that breathing had become somewhat of a challenge. Everywhere she looked, Ana could see thick webs of spider silk hanging from the gnarled branches of the trees and more than once she had to whisper soothing words of comfort to her mare who appeared more and more reluctant to carry on the deeper they ventured into the woods. The mount of one of guards at the back of the procession was also having difficulties urging his horse onward. The beast had come to a complete halt and was refusing to go any further, and Ana watched as the rider tried in vain to lead his mount forward.

"This forest is ill," she whispered to Silima, who rode beside her, as both ellith continued to look around them, "I've never seen or felt anything like it. I am afraid I have not felt at ease since the moment we crossed these borders, the sickness of these woods is almost infectious."

Silima looked back as she heard the whinnying of a horse and watched as the horse who had stopped behind them took off in the direction whence they came, abandoning his rider.

"I do not like this," she said, examining the spider silk that infested the forest like a plague. Ana nodded and placed her hand at the hilt of the dagger that Thalion had given her for the journey. Her heart raced as she realized that she might very well have to use it, for there was no telling what foul things were concealed withing these trees. She hoped that they would not have to find out, but the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach indicated otherwise.

The old road they were treading was unkempt with the twisted roots of trees sticking out treacherously in their path and occasionally in the heavy silence, the snap of a twig or the rustling of leaves put Legolas on high alert. He and Veryan had kept their eyes peeled for danger from the moment they set foot in the forest, knowing what lurked in these woods. Now the propensity of spider webs as well as the agitation of the horses alerted them to one very important thing.

They were being watched.

Something was moving unseen in the shadows of the forest and the prince sensed as the webs became thicker, drawing on the sickness of the woods, that the company was coming closer to Dol Guldur. A place that his kin did not dare approach and one that he certainly wished they had stayed as far away from as possible.

"We are not alone as we approach the fortress," Veryan's hushed words echoed Legolas' own concerns and he nodded, placing a firm grip on his bow as he search the dark recesses of the woods.

In the middle of the procession, Ana and Silima watched anxiously as the guards drew their weapons. The princess unsheathed her dagger and held it out in front of her, her heart accelerating as she looked about her in every direction.

Legolas was just about to say that they should speak with the Captain when all of a sudden, the webs in the trees began to vibrate. Veryan and the prince exchanged worried looks as the vibrating became more pronounced and the leaves in the trees began to rustle violently. Suddenly, a large spider dropped down from one of the trees onto two members of the guard and chaos ensued as dozens of hairy, black masses began to drop down from the treetops to attack the procession. At the sight of the dark creatures, the mounts became restless and panicked, some of them bucking their riders off and running into the depths of the forest, never to be seen again as a few of the spiders chased them down.

Legolas pulled several arrows from his quiver and shot one that was making straight for him before unsheathing his knives and plunging them into the creature's head. All around the sounds of yelling, screaming and the unsheathing of weapons resounded as the spiders continued to attack, coming down from their nests to enjoy their hunt. Veryan had begun climbing the trees as one by one, elven guards were wrapped in spider silk before being taken up to the nest for feeding time, and he hacked through the webs in an effort to rescue his comrades. He soon realized that his efforts were in vain as the spiders were too quick, too strong and too hungry to allow their prey to escape. It became clear very quickly that the elves were outnumbered and this was a fight that they could not win.

In the disarray, Legolas did not see one of the spiders coming down above him and was caught by surprise when the creature pinned him to the ground. The prince grabbed hold of its giant pincers, forcing them away with all his strength as they snapped near his face. By some miracle he managed to kick the spider in the belly, giving him enough time to reach for one of his knives so that he could thrust the blade right through its body. Legolas hurriedly pushed the carcass off him and rushed to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him, as he jumped in to help some of the other guards.

As he fought his way through the chaos, hacking and stabbing at an endless stream of spiders and webs, Legolas realized that he could no longer see Ana or Silima. His heart slammed against the walls of his chest and as he stood amidst the fighting, a feeling of dread rose from the pit of his stomach.

"Ana!" he called out desperately searching for a sign of her as he pushed over several spider carcasses.

It was all to no avail. The princess was gone and Legolas was beginning to fear the worst.

**... ...**

**A/N: **Sorry about the cliffy! I just couldn't resist. Please review and let me know whether or not you're enjoying this story. Is it worth continuing? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Anyway, I've got something really exciting planned for the next chapter and I'm really anxious to write it, so stay tuned!

Also, for some really awesome Legomances check out **KD Skywalker**'s **Reflections **series, especially **Reflections Remixed**, her stories as some of my favourite! Another amazing one is **Raider-K**'s **Wanderlust**.


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